Spring Is Upon Us - Ticks Are Out & Hungry!

Dr. David Gagnon

Spring is upon us, which means ticks are out and hungry.  In northeast Wisconsin, we primarily deal with two species of tick: the “deer tick”, also known as the black-legged tick, and the “wood tick”, also known as the American dog tick.  The American dog tick is not a huge threat in our little corner of the world, but it is known to carry significant diseases in other parts of the country.  There is a third tick species we rarely see, called the Lone Star Tick, that is known to carry Ehrlichiosis, among other things.  But our biggest, and most common threat in northeast Wisconsin is the Black Legged Tick, which carries Anaplasma and the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

People who have had Lyme disease or know someone who has had it know that it can be a dreadful disease.  As it turns out, our dogs can get Lyme disease too.  Although both people and dogs can be infected, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease cannot be transmitted between dogs and people.  It is only delivered from a tick bite.

Black legged ticks are very small and often difficult to find, especially through a dog’s fur. It’s up to us to try to kill the tick before it has a chance to cause problems.  These days, we have several options for tick prevention.  Topical preventatives like Parastar Plus or Frontline have been around for years, but nowadays we have chewable products, such as Bravecto.  Chewables have gained favor since entering the scene a couple years ago, not only because of their convenience, but also because they’re very safe and effective. Nevertheless, nothing is 100% effective (though some are pretty close), so we do also recommend vaccinating your dog against Lyme.  In the event that a tick bites and delivers this bacteria, the vaccine helps your dog fight off the disease without becoming ill.

Due to the fact that we live in an area with a high population of ticks (which, by the way, is only increasing!), we recommend an annual test to look for exposure to a variety of tick-borne diseases.  Ticks tend to be most active in the spring and fall, but can be around any time of year.  Many people believe ticks aren’t a threat in the winter.  While the threat is lower, they can still be active even if the temperatures outside are below freezing, especially if there’s no snow on the ground. We recommend year-round flea and tick prevention.

If you ever find a tick on your dog, don’t rely on the tick’s size to identify it.  Ticks are all small, and they all get larger after feeding.  Please feel free to bring in the tick (whether you remove it from your pet or it’s still attached).  If you don’t see a tick attached, it doesn’t mean one never hopped on… they’re incredibly small and difficult to find.

Typical symptoms dogs show are lethargy and joint pain/stiffness.  If you ever notice your dog is not acting normally or not feeling well, please call us.

TickEncounter Resource Center

O'Tom Tick Twister (Tick Removal Tool)