Thursday, November 10, 2016

Myths About Dreaded Ticks




Dr. Ronald G. Biese
The book of Matthew in the New Testament (10:27) says “What I whisper in your ear shout from the housetops for all to hear”.  That is good advice for knowledge that simply needs to be heard and distributed to the masses.  There are so many myths about ticks that I would love to shout from the rooftops for all to hear to dispel these myths.  The two main ticks we see in Wisconsin are wood ticks (Demacentor variabilis) and deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis).  What is fact and what is fiction about these dreaded beasts?

It is common knowledge that deer ticks carry diseases.  That is correct.  Most people know that they carry Lyme disease.  That is correct.  Deer ticks are very small.  Right again.  That is about the only facts all people understand. 

A common myth is that deer ticks are always small even when engorged.  What many people don’t know is an engorged deer tick can be up to ½ inch long.  This is sizeable and to an untrained eye can look like an engorged wood tick.   Shout this information from the rooftops.  A large engorged tick DOES NOT mean a wood tick.  It could be, but it should be identified by an expert (your veterinarian should know).  

Another myth is that ticks are gone by fall.  That is dead wrong!  No pun intended.  Deer ticks are always available to prey on unsuspecting mammals ANY time the temperature is near or above 32 degrees.  They do not hibernate, nor do they look at a calendar.  I have seen ticks in my practice on dogs every month of the year.  They are not gone after the first frost!  DON’T stop using flea/tick preventives until there is snow that does not leave the ground.  In fact, it is a good idea to use the product all year-round, as some winters are mild enough with thawing occurring any time.  In addition, you will get flea protection which can occur any time of year from other animals. 

The most popular myth is a tick burrows its entire head under the skin.  This is simply not true.  They bite with their mouth parts that sink into the skin.  The head can’t go below the skin! 
    
Removing a tick couldn’t be any easier.  People make a huge deal out of this and have all kinds of “tricks” to get them out.  Did you ever hear of burning them out; using Vaseline to back them out; using diesel fuel to get them out?  DO NOT EMPLOY ANY OF THESE METHODS.  Again, warm up those lungs and shout this to your neighbors and friends.  The easiest and best way to remove them once they are embedded is to grab them as close to the skin as possible with a pointy tweezers and SLOWLY pull.  They will likely release once there is enough pressure applied.  Do not worry if some of the mouth parts are left behind.  They will not cause a local infection and the body will kick it out within a few days to a week.  I have had several clients trying to “dig out the head” with needles and cause more harm than good.  Be much more afraid of what these little buggers transmit into the body!!


Lyme disease is the only disease that ticks transmit.  This is very wrong!  There are several known diseases that they transmit to our pets and us, and likely many more that we don’t know about.  To name a few, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, Tularemia, and several others.  

Ticks are creepy in many ways.  My wish is to educate as many people about the above myths and dispel as many as possible so that our lovely pets are safer from their wicked ways.  So, I hope you “shout” to as many people as you can about the things you learned about ticks.   By the way, you don’t have to do it from your rooftop.  That is dangerous!


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