It’s the middle of the summertime in the Baton Rouge area, and people want to spend more time outdoors than ever. For pet owners, they are likely wanting to take their dogs on walks and have them spend time in their backyard. However, the warmer weather brings about a rise in the prevalence of ticks and other pet parasites. Ticks are infamous for transmitting Lyme disease–although cats are largely unaffected, they can be as dangerous for dogs as they are for people.

For that reason, it’s important to learn how to protect your pets from summertime ticks.

5 Ways to Keep Ticks off Pets

In general, it’s important to stay proactive about the possibility of your pets getting a tick. Some of the ways you can help include:

Keep a tidy, trimmed yard. By mowing your lawn regularly, you can make your yard less attractive to ticks. In addition, implement rodent prevention tactics to discourage rodents that could carry ticks.
Use tick preventatives on your pets. Talk to your veterinarian about prevention or treatment options, including heartworm protection.
Check your dogs or cats for ticks daily or whenever they go outdoors. When inspecting, focus on areas under the legs and around the neck and ears. In addition, look out for excessive scratching, licking, or grooming behavior.
Avoid areas with tall grass on hikes. Ticks are known to be in areas with high grass, be careful to stay on trails when hiking or walking.
Protect your family from ticks. During the summer, regularly check yourself and family members for ticks after being outdoors. They can easily hop from you to your pets!

Are Ticks Dangerous for Dogs?

Ticks feed by biting an animal or human and feasting on their blood. This could take days. When an infected tick attaches to a dog for a few days, it’s possible for them to transmit Lyme disease, a serious bacterial infection. If you notice your pet is showing symptoms of depression, loss of appetite, fever, lameness, or swollen joins and lymph nodes, immediately contact your veterinarian. Ticks can also occasionally cause anemia in pets. Cats rarely get ticks, but could easily carry them into your home where they can infest other members and pets in the family.

Help With Tick Infestations

If ticks have been introduced into your home, it’s important to always clean your property thoroughly and inspect for them, just as you would with fleas. For more information on tick prevention or for advice on your tick problem, the team at Dugas is ready to help!