Ticks have been a threat to humans, dogs and other animals for decades. These blood-thirsty parasites aren't just a nuisance; they can also cause serious illnesses to humans and animals. After mosquitoes, ticks are the second most common insects to transmit diseases to animals. For this reason, it's very important to know how to recognise a tick and how you can prevent them harming your pet.
- What is a tick?
- Different kinds of ticks
- Lifestyle
- Habitat
- Tick season
- Getting a tick
- Getting rid of ticks
- Diseases
- Tips
- Useful links
What is a tick?
A tick is a spider-like creature with eight legs that requires the blood of mammals to develop through its life stages. You can identify a tick by its mouthparts and it is differentiated from insects (with 6 legs) as the adult tick has eight legs.
Ticks inject their mouthparts into the skin, and take a blood meal from its host. The meal can last for several hours or even days. Once satisfied, the tick then will release their grip and drop off the animal after a meal. A tick bite is normally not painful, and is often only noticed if the animal's owner feels or sees the tick on the skin. However, tick bites can often cause lumps under the skin where it has attached that can become uncomfortable or infected with bacteria. In addition, the tick can transmit infectious disease, such as Lyme Disease and Borreliosis.
The most common type of tick in Europe comes from the Ixodidae familie; it is known as the 'hard tick'. This kind has 3 phases in its life, in which it uses one or several hosts to feed from.
The tick egg hatches into a larva. The larva searches out a small host such as a bird or mouse, attaches to the mammal and feeds itself with blood. After its blood meal, the larva withdraws its mouthparts and drops from the host in order to nestle in the grass or undergrowth. Once there, the larva turns into a nymph and looks for another new host, typically a larger mammal such as a hedgehog or rabbit on which to feed. After this second meal, the nymph leaves the host to find suitable vegetation in which it can live the last phase of its life as an adult tick. As an adult, the tick will seek out larger species of mammals such as dogs to continue feeding and prepare for breeding.
An unfed tick is only a few millimetres long, but after a blood meal a tick can increase to over 100 times its original size to be more than a centimetre long!
Different kinds of ticks
The kinds of ticks mentioned below exist in the UK and are found on dogs:
-
Ixodes ricinus - Deer/Sheep Tick
- A tick bite on a human being is almost always caused by this kind of tick, which lives as a parasite on a large number of hosts
- In some areas of the UK, this tick carries Lyme Disease
- These are mainly found in rural areas of woodland and moorland
-
Ixodes hexagonus - Hedgehog Tick
- Often found in towns and cities where hedgehogs are common
- Common in urban parks
- Will also attach to humans
-
Ixodes canisuga - British Dog Tick
- Can be found in kennels
- Badgers and foxes carry this tick
- Is common in mainland Europe
- Has been seen in the South of England
- In Europe is seen as the major cause of diseases such as babesiosis and ehrlichiosis
- Rarely seen in the UK
- This species is most commonly found in Germany and Spain
Lifestyle
Ticks are highly specialised parasitical feeders. They survive on blood from vertebrate hosts such as dogs and sometimes cats. To develop fully, they need three meals of blood from one or several different hosts. In cases where they use more than one host to provide them with blood, there is potentially a very high risk of transmitting disease.
In a tick's saliva, there is a chemical that has an anaesthetic effect, together with another that prevents coagulation of the blood. Because of this, the tick bite is not noticed, and the tick can attach itself somewhere on an animal without being detected.
A tick can remain on the same host for several days or even a week. After a full meal of blood, the female transfers a considerable percentage (50% or more) of her body weight into eggs before she dies, producing from hundreds to several thousands of eggs. Larvae hatch from these eggs. In the first phase of their life cycle, these larvae have six legs rather than eight.
Habitat
Ticks are mainly found in rural areas, particularly moorland and woodland where there is heavy undergrowth. Ticks are extremely economical with their energy, and can live for over a year without any food. They are attracted to a potential host, such as a dog, by its breathing. Ticks are very sensitive to the carbon dioxide that is exhaled. They can climb up your dog's legs and nestle in a favourite place; commonly this would be in a fold of skin under or around the ears although they may also simply settle on one of its paws. A tick usually wanders round for a few minutes in search of an optimal location, before attaching itself firmly by injecting its mouthparts into the skin.
The geographical distribution of different kinds of ticks is dependent on two factors: preference for a certain host, and climate. Some kinds of tick like a wide range of hosts and can be found on different kinds of mammal. Besides this aspect, ticks prefer a warm climate. However, due to global warming, the number of ticks in more northerly areas has risen in the last few years.
The growth in nature reserves and the rise in the number of mammals, due to restrictions on hunting, are other factors that have caused the European tick population to increase in recent years.
Tick season
Generally speaking, ticks are more active in the period from March until the end of June. There is another peak in activity between August and October. During the winter, ticks are normally less active. However, due to increasingly warm winters, they appear more and more often in the winter months. In short, you need to protect your dog from ticks all year round!
Getting a tick
It's extremely important that you check your four-legged friend for ticks after you've been out for a walk. Inspect your dog's skin during grooming every day in order to find any ticks that may be present. Many ticks enjoy settling on warm, hairy places on your dog. The inside of the ear, the groin and around the head are favourite spots for ticks and they need to be thoroughly checked by the owner. The vet can help you with this and also give you advice about preventive measures that you can take against ticks.
Tick prevention
If your dog gets a tick, the best thing to do is to take your dog to the vet who will be able to remove it for you. Your vet will be able to ensure that all the mouthparts of the tick are removed. If mouthparts are left in the skin they can cause an infection.
The easiest way to reduce the chance of your dog getting ticks is to use medicines designed to prevent tick and flea infestations, on a regular basis. Fort Dodge has recently launched a new product that is specifically formulated to combat ticks in dogs, giving you effective control over existing infestations and preventing them from coming back. The product is available from vets, who can give you more information and advice about ticks and the health and well-being of your dog.
Diseases
Lyme Disease or Borreliosis
Lyme Disease or Borreliosis is an illness transmitted by ticks that can affect humans, dogs and cats. The corkscrew-shaped Borrelia bacteria carried by the Ixodes ricinus tick can cause Lyme Disease or Borreliosis. The disease is appearing more often, and in more locations, therefore every pet owner should know and be able to recognise its symptoms. The following symptoms can indicate that a pet is suffering from Lyme Disease:
- painful or stiff muscles and joints
- tiredness
- fever
- lack of appetite
- (sometimes) sudden collapse
Babesiosis
Ticks can transmit diseases to animals and people. The most significant disease caused to dogs by ticks is Babesiosis. This parasite forces its way into the red blood cells. Symptoms of this disease are shortness of breath, fever, red urine and sudden death. Babesiosis is most common in southern Europe, but may also appear in other locations, and is spread by four different kinds of ticks: Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes hexagonus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Dermacentor reticulatus.
Canine Ehrlichiosis
Canine Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by Ehrlichia canis. The main symptoms are: fever, loss of weight, tiredness and lack of appetite. This disease can in turn lead to considerable anaemia and low number of platelets. Other symptoms observed are heavy and laboured breathing and stiffness in the legs. Erhlichiosis is a very serious disease and can be fatal. The spread of E.canis is dependent on the distribution of the vector, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. This tick was originally to be found in southern European areas, but is increasingly spreading north.
Tips
- Inspect your pet regularly for ticks or arrange for a check-up
- Ask your vet to remove ticks for you
- Ask your vet for advice on treatment and prevention of ticks
Useful links:
www.lymediseaseaction.org.ukwww.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lymedisease.htm
www.provet.co.uk
