When removing a tick, there are a few points to keep in mind. Don’t use your hands, don’t crush the tick between your fingers, and be sure you kill the tick by putting it in alcohol. A more thorough process is outlined below.

What Are Ticks?

Ticks are actually arachnids, in the same family as the spider. They can be hard or soft shelled. Ticks can carry and transmit Lyme disease, which can cause serious problems in animals. Ticks are attracted to warmth and humidity; when they sense a host nearby, they crawl on and attach themselves. Ticks feed by eating blood and plant their eggs on the ground. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae crawl onto a host, usually a small rodent.

How Do I Know If My Cat Has Ticks?

Be sure to inspect your cat often. Ticks can be fairly large; you shouldn’t have a problem seeing them. Notice if your cat is scratching frequently at one area of its body. Also look for skin irritations, allergic reactions and signs of lethargy. Remember that behavior is how your cat talks to you. Pay attention.

How Do I Safely Remove A Tick?

Begin by bathing your cat with a flea and tick shampoo, being sure to rub it deeply into the skin. Be sure to use a shampoo for cats, as flea and tick shampoos for dogs can be toxic to cats. Have tweezers, a bowl of rubbing alcohol, an empty bowl, disinfectant and cotton balls. Wear gloves just to be safe.

Comb through your cats fur with your fingers looking for ticks. They should be easy to see as they can be fairly large. When you find one, dip your tweezers into the rubbing alcohol, and using them, grasp the tick as close to the cat as possible. Focus on the area where the tick is biting the cat. Gently squeeze and pull the tick out. Be sure not to crush the tick, or tear its head off, as this will produce more of the substance that irritates the cat’s skin. Make sure you double check that you have removed the whole tick.

Place the tick into the empty bowl, and continue. Wipe the empty area with disinfectant. When you have finished searching the cat, pour tick shampoo or rubbing alcohol into the bowl with the removed ticks. Flushing a tick down the toilet is not enough to kill them; you must soak it in alcohol or tick shampoo.

Common Misconceptions About Ticks

A hot match, petroleum jelly or alcohol, have all been rumored to kill ticks. Experts advise against these methods, as they can aggravate the tick, making it deposit more saliva into the wound, causing further irritation. Once the tick is removed, the area may become even more irritated and could possibly welt. This is a normal reaction; just make sure you remove the entire tick in the first place.

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What are Ticks?

Ticks are small, spider-like parasites that feed on blood from animals. There are over 800 varieties of ticks, and they can be found in some form, nearly everywhere in the world. Some types of ticks are so small; they can barely be seen by the naked eye. They may be no larger than the point on the end of a needle.

Ticks are a major source of disease for humans and animals. The diseases they spread can cause health problems for dogs, and their owners. Diseases, spread by ticks, have been reported in all 50 states, and cases continue to rise yearly.

What Diseases do Ticks Spread?

Every year, thousands of dogs get diseases that are spread by ticks. Many of these diseases are extremely dangerous, and should be treated immediately. The most common tick-borne disease is Lyme Disease. Other tick-borne diseases, include: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Canine Anaplasmosis and Canine Ehrlichiosis.

• Lyme Disease, which is the most dangerous, can be a life-threatening for your dog. Lyme Disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi. The disease is transmitted to your dog when they are bitten by a tick carrying the bacteria. After becoming infected, your dog may begin to experience symptoms, including: limping, depression, and a fever.

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is spread to dogs, which get bitten by ticks infected by a parasite called R. Rickettsii. Once this parasite enters the body, it starts an incubation period lasting up to 14 days, before entering into the circulatory system. This will eventually result in hemorrhaging, internal bleeding, and organ damage. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is very dangerous and can lead to organ failure or death if left untreated. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can be treated with antibiotics.

• Canine Anaplasmosis, or dog fever, is another disease that is carried by ticks. Dog fever is transmitted the same way Lyme Disease is, and can show some of the same symptoms. The disease is caused by a bacterium called Anaplasma Phagocytophilum.

• Canine Ehrlichiosis, yet another disease carried by ticks, can cause lameness, blood disorders, kidney disease, and possibly death.

What Can You Do?

As a concerned pet owner, there are many things that you can do to prevent your dog from becoming infected with a tick-born disease. Quickly removing any ticks on your dog, by pinching them off, can greatly reduce the chance that they will spread a disease. Staying out of areas that you know are infested with ticks can help, but it may be very difficult to do, depending on where you live.

What is Lyme Disease?

You may already know that Lyme Disease comes from ticks, but you may not know that Lyme Disease is actually caused by bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi. The bacterium is transmitted when your dog becomes bitten by a bacteria infected tick. So, contrary to popular thinking, the tick itself does not actually cause the disease.

Ticks are found in many areas throughout the United States. According to Washington State University, ?Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne (transmitted by insects or arthropods) Disease occurring in people and probably in dogs in the United States?. Lyme Disease in dogs has been reported in all 50 states, and the frequency of the disease has been increasing over the years. Lyme Disease is very dangerous and can lead to neurological disorders in your dog if left untreated. Even after treatment, many dogs still have relapses, and experience chronic pain.

How Do You Know if Your Dog has Lyme Disease?

There is a blood test available to check for Borrelia Burgdorferi; however, most dogs that live in an area where there are a lot of ticks will test positive, even if they do not have Lyme Disease. The test will tell you if your dog has been exposed to the bacteria causing Lyme Disease, but will not tell you if he is experiencing any problems from it. The test may also show up positive if your dog has been vaccinated for the disease.

There are a variety of symptoms to look for if you think your dog may have Lyme Disease. According to ThePetCenter.com, 90% of dogs start limping within a few days after becoming infected with Lyme Disease. Once the infection has started, it begins to progress, often making it impossible for a dog to walk. Your dog may also seem to be more depressed, less active, and will usually have a fever. Symptoms of Lyme Disease may also come on suddenly. Often times a dog may appear completely normal, and then show symptoms a few hours later.

Prevent Lyme Disease

Even though a tick infestation can go undetected, there is hope for your dog before they contract Lyme Disease! A tick can be as small as the head of a needle, making it almost impossible to spot. There are some things you can do to reduce the chance of your dog getting Lyme Disease. Keeping your dog out of areas that are infested with ticks will help, but it is sometimes unavoidable. Your dog can get infested by ticks just by spending time playing in your back yard.

Any visible ticks should be removed as soon as possible to prevent transmitting the bacteria. The best preventative measure to keep your dog from getting this life threatening disease is to keep ticks off of them in the first place.

Fleas are a common occurrence in cats; most cat-owners know if and when their cat has fleas, and how to most effectively treat them. However some cats have a more severe reaction to the usually annoying fleas. Cats with flea bite dermatitis experience serious allergic reactions to fleas and flea bites.

Symptoms of Flea Bite Dermatitis

Dermatitis refers to skin inflammation; therefore cats with dermatitis from flea bites experience more severe symptoms. Symptoms of an allergic reaction in cats includes itching, coughing, sneezing and wheezing, nasal or eye discharge, vomiting or diarrhea. Specific responses depend on the allergen. Cats allergic to flea bites most commonly experience a loss of weight, loss of fur and severe itching. Their fur may fall out, and they may appear to be covered in black dirt.

Don’t Fleas Make All Cats Itch?

Contrary to popular opinion, fleas don’t bother most cats. A cat can be infested with fleas and only experience minor itching.

Why Is My Cat Allergic To Fleas?

Cats are allergic to the saliva of the fleas. When the flea bites a cat, its saliva is transmitted to the cat’s skin. Even one bite can make an allergic cat itch. Your cat will react by itching, licking or chewing on the itchy area. The constant itching and chewing can open wounds on the cat’s skin which may become infected or scab over. Frequent licking will eventually remove the hair from the skin. Many allergic cats will focus on their legs.

Treating a Flea Allergy

See your veterinarian as soon as possible. They may recommend a shampoo, spray or shot. You may need to use more than one product, or use one product a few times. Take caution when using a flea collar; cats allergic to fleas are often allergic to flea collars as well. Clean the cat’s environment. If your cat lives indoors, be sure to vacuum thoroughly and regularly, wash curtains and couch covers. You may need to use a flea bomb, but be careful as these can trigger an attack in an asthmatic. Wash all bedding and wash your cats bedding frequently. Spray outdoors where your cat frequents.

Preventing Another Flea Infestation

It’s important to prevent flea infestation in general and even more so for an allergic cat. Vacuuming regularly and washing your cat’s bed often are two very important steps. Don’t forget to regularly wash your cat, too. A monthly pill can help your pet, but as these pills only prevent fleas from reproducing, your pet will still need more attention. A fine-toothed comb is enjoyable to kitty and can remove fleas from its body.

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