As most people are now aware, ticks are not a seasonal problem. So long as there is no snow on the ground and the temperature is above 31 degrees, deer ticks will wake from hibernation under their dead leaves and crawl up the nearest bush to latch onto our dogs. So why do we still associate Spring with ticks? Not all are as tolerant of the cold as deer ticks, but they will still emerge at their appropriate temperature and pass their own diseases along just like Lyme. With the return of wildlife to our area, we are seeing an increase in non-Lyme tick diseases in dogs. Diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichia all seem to be on the rise. Luckily, with a Lyme vaccine showing almost 100% protection, we seem to be holding that disease at bay. But the others still require vigilance on the dog-owners’ part in order to prevent dogs from getting sick.
The first step to preventing ticks on dogs and humans is to protect the yard. With the bee population dropping, folks have smartly moved away from the scorched-Earth style pesticide use on their yards. However, perimeter sprays to prevent entrance may still be helpful. You can also make changes to your yard to lower the risk of ticks. Things like mulch borders, brush control, and targeted mouse/tick control are excellent deterrents. Visit tickencounter.org for more information on yard control.
Preventive use on our dogs still remains the best option. Topical preparations have definitely been around the longest, taking the form of treated collars and spot-on treatments administered to the skin. While these products are typically very effective when first released, the compounds that make them up are often added to landscaping pesticides within years of their release. As a result, many ticks build up a tolerance to the compounds as they make their way across peoples’ properties. When this happens, the small amounts of the compound used on the dogs no longer kill the ticks. Another drawback of the topicals is that many contain repellants. While this may sound like a good idea to anyone who has tried to keep other pests, like mosquitoes, away, you have to remember that ticks move much slower than other insects. By the time they are picked up in the yard and determine the dog’s skin is not as delectable as they would like, the dogs are back inside our homes. Once inside, the ticks will crawl off and seek the next best option: us.
Newer, safer oral preventives have become our best option now. While they do require the tick to bite the dog, they will die before most diseases are passed. Some people are concerned about the fact that the compound is actually INSIDE their dog, but most don’t realize that most of the topicals work by being absorbed into the bloodstream as well. Unlike those products, the oral medications will not be used in pesticides and the effectiveness should not diminish over time.