Ticks are external parasites that inhabit the skin of dogs, cats, humans and other mammals. Although ticks are commonly thought of as insects, they are classified as arachnids, just like mites, scorpions and spiders. All ticks have four pairs of legs (eight legs in total), while adult insects have three pairs of legs (six legs in total). here are two groups of ticks, the “hard” ticks (Ixodidae) and “soft” ticks (Argasidae). Hard ticks have a hard shield just behind the mouthparts, which may resemble the “head” of the tick. Soft ticks do not have the hard shield and they are shaped like a raisin. Soft ticks prefer to feed on birds or bats and are not commonly found on dogs or cats.
There are more than 15 species of ticks in North America, but only a few of them commonly infest domestic animals.
The four ticks most commonly found in dogs and cats are:
- American dog tick
- Lone star tick
- Deer or Blacklegged tick
- Brown dog tick
The saliva of some ticks has a toxin that can cause tick paralysis in animals and humans. In addition, ticks are capable of transmitting certain diseases—ticks are vectors for many bacteria, viruses, fungi, spirochetes, and disease causing microorganisms, many of which can be spread from domestic and wild animals to human beings.
How To Remove Ticks From Your Pet?
What you will need…
- Gloves
- Tweezers
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Clean gauzes or cotton balls
How To Do:
- Wear gloves while removing the tick to avoid contact with your skin.
- Grasp the tick as close to your dog’s skin as possible, but be careful not to pinch your dog’s skin.
- Pull outward in a straight, steady motion, making sure that you have removed the entire tick, since anything left behind could lead to an infection.
- Clean your dog’s skin and the tweezers with alcohol. Wash your hands.
- Save the tick in a small container with isopropyl alcohol—you will need to bring this to the vet if your dog shows any sign of tick-borne illness.
Do Ticks Transmit Any Diseases?
A primary concern of ticks is the transmission of tick-borne diseases, which include ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease. When an infected tick bites a host (an animal or person) to feed, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) is transferred to the host. Lyme disease in humans is characterized by aches in the joints, fever, and a host of other flu-like symptoms. The best defense against this disease is to check oneself daily for ticks and remove them promptly.
