EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TICKS

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TICKS
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• Ticks are nasty little critters, but if youve
  ever owned a dog, youll know that theyre also
  hard to avoid. While your pet may not be infested
  with them, there is bound to be one point in
  their life where theyll pick at least one up,
  and so heres everything you need to know about
  ticks for when that time comes
• Ticks and fleas
• Fleas are insects and ticks are arachnids, making
  them completely different, but most ticks look
  similar apart from slight differences in
  coloration and body size.

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• What do ticks feed on?
• The diet of ticks is made up entirely of blood,
  and their specialized appendages make it easy for
  them to attach to a host such as a dog and
  feed by sucking the blood. Ticks are unable to
  jump like fleas, and so instead wait until they
  can climb onto a passing host from grass or
  shrubs.
• The life stage of a tick
• Ticks begin life as eggs and grow into adult
  bugs. When at their youngest, the nymph tick is
  small and looks completely different from the
  adults who have gotten fat and swollen from
  feeding on the blood of the host.

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• This can make it easy for folks to believe that
  their pet is infested with two different types of
  tick, when in fact they are the same but at
  different stages in their lifecycle.
• What diseases can ticks spread?
• Ticks can be the carriers of some unpleasant
  diseases, a few of which can be transferred to
  humans and a small number of which can be
  potentially life-threatening. Some of the more
  common diseases that ticks can carry are Lyme
  Disease, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis,
  Hepatozoonosis, Rocky Mountain Fever,
  Anaplasmosis, Tularemia and Tick Paralysis.

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• How might you know if your dog has ticks?
• Spotting ticks on your pet before they have a
  chance to latch on and begin sucking blood, is
  the best way of keeping them at bay, while of
  course prevention is better than cure. There are
  some common indicators that your dog may have a
  tick problem, and they include
• Chewing or nibbling at a spot on their body
• Scratching their ears and shaking their head
• Development of a sudden fever
• Rashes on the skin and/or scabs

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• What can you do to prevent a tick infestation?
• Vector-borne diseases are easily preventable with
  quick treatment that is regularly updated, such
  as applying a spot-on treatment and by ensuring
  that any areas your pet is in contact with, are
  kept clean and tick free. Pesticides that will
  not cause harm to your dog can be used on lawns
  or shrubberies to deter ticks, and avoid
  overwatering wherever possible, as ticks thrive
  in damp and humid conditions. Regular bathing
  with a medicated shampoo may also help and will
  not only keep your dogs coat clean but will
  repel ticks and fleas. You may also consider
  having your pet wear a tick collar, some of which
  are successful in repelling ticks for as long as
  six months.

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• Tick infestations are horrible for both pet and
  owner, but provided you groom your pet regularly
  and pay close attention to the warning signs,
  they are simple to prevent.
• K9 Second Line has been in business since 2011
  and we provide the best possible care to each of
  our clients. We individualize services to tailor
  to you and your pet's exact needs. If you are
  looking for services like pet sitting in metairie
  or a dog walker in new orleans, check out our
  services at https//k9secondline.com