As the weather gets warmer, many of us are spending more time outdoors, which means dog owners need to keep an eye out for ticks.
Though spring and summer are typically thought of as tick season, a veterinarian from Maryland notes that he actually sees more ticks during the fall, particularly in October, November, and December, than in the summer months of July and August.
“Ticks are active year-round,” explained Dr. Victor Katz from the Muddy Branch Veterinary Center in Gaithersburg. “If temperatures drop to around 32 degrees, they might slow down a bit, but once it warms back up to 35-37 degrees, they become active again.”
With a dog’s body temperature at around 101 degrees, ticks are drawn to warmth and can detect temperature, humidity, and motion.
“They essentially hatch and attach to dogs, just seeking warmth,” Katz remarked.
In the D.C. area, several tick-borne diseases are common, such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.
“Seven years ago, the focus for Lyme disease research shifted from Hartford, Connecticut, to Derwood, Maryland. We’re in the heart of Lyme country,” Katz said.
To keep dogs safe from tick-related illnesses, Katz highlighted oral preventative medications like Simparica, Bravecto, and NexGard as effective options.
“They don’t create a forcefield around the dog, shooting ticks away or anything,” he said.
However, if a tick bites a dog taking these preventatives, it typically dies within four to six hours, while the transmission of some diseases can take up to 10 to 12 hours.
“So, in essence, it kills the tick before it has a chance to transmit a significant amount of disease,” he explained.
Katz also mentioned that there is some data suggesting these preventatives could increase the risk of seizures in certain dogs. For those pets, he suggests using a Seresto tick collar, which lasts about six months and is very effective.
