Despite the April’s Fools trick Mother Nature played on us, April usually means the start of tick season here in Minnesota. We recommend a variety of monthly preventatives based on your pet’s lifestyle, as well as the Lyme vaccination. But what happens when one of those buggers still gets through our best defenses? Every time your pet goes out in tall grasses or wooded areas, a thorough search for ticks should be done as soon as you get home. Feel through the coat, making sure to check near face and ears, neck, armpits, groin, and even between toes as well as everywhere else. If the tick is not yet attached, removal is much easier and this prevents disease transmission. If you find what you think are ticks, please ensure that it is a tick! Ticks can be black, brown, tan, or gray and should have 8 legs. Be sure you aren’t trying to remove a skin tag, nipple, or other growth; your dog won’t appreciate that! Ticks can be as small as the head of a pin, but when engorged can be up to the size of a dime or larger! If you find a tick, you can try to remove it at home. Gloves are recommended as ticks can carry disease. A […]
It is that time of year again-we are seeing ticks already! Any time the weather is above freezing for more than a few days in a row, ticks can emerge and start to wreak havoc. Ticks can transmit a number of diseases including Lyme disease, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Babesia. These diseases can cause lameness, fever, lethargy, decrease in appetite, kidney disease, thrombocytopenia, (low platelets, the clotting cells), anemia (low red blood cells), or leukopenia (low white blood cell counts). Please see this previous blog regarding Lyme disease. Prevention is key for these diseases. Topical monthly flea and tick preventatives such as Parastar Plus or Frontline Plus are recommended. An alternative is Nexgard which is a monthly chewable preventative. There is a vaccine available for Lyme disease as well. Please discuss with your veterinarian if your pet is at risk and would benefit from this. Lyme disease is endemic in this area (meaning it is prevalent here-see the map of human cases tracked by the CDC). Thoroughly examining your pet after being outside, especially if in tall grasses or wooded areas can help find ticks before they attach as well. Most of the tick borne illnesses need the tick to be attached for at least 24 hours in order to transmit diseases. Catching them […]
Providing the best possible veterinary care for your pet.
Heritage Animal Hospital is a full-service veterinarian clinic that provides examinations, diagnostic services, dental care, surgical services, medicine, grooming and boarding services in Maple Grove, Minnesota. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of pet care possible and facilitating an environment where client communication and education are at the forefront of our practice.
