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When you spot a tick on your domestic dog , your first intellection is credibly , “ Ewwww , ” and not , “ What tick species is that ? ”
While it ’s true that allspeciesof ticks have a serious ick factor , unlike tick species can carry differentdiseasesand peril for our canine companions . It can be a helpful science to know which species you ’re make out with .
“ tick are not only unsightly but also pass grave disease to dogs , ” say Michael Stone DVM , national medicine veterinarian and associate clinical professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University . “ Some diseases are modest and some may be fatal . The spectrum of disease that can be take hold of from tick bites is wide . ”
Most multitude are familiar with blacklegged ( deer ) check and their power to transmitLyme disease . However , the lone star tick is an belligerent tick mintage that is becoming more vulgar in the U.S. In a national study of ticks on dogs and African tea , more than 23 percent of dogs were overrun with lone star check mark ( 1 ) .
twelvemonth - one shot tick and flea ascendancy can help guard your dog against tick - borne disease . Credeliois a pocket-size , tasty chewable for detent that is effective against four metal money of ticks , include the lone star tick .
Here is what you demand to know about the lone star tick and likely danger for dogs .
What Is a Lone Star Tick?
The lone star tick ( Amblyomma americanum ) is known as an aggressive species that seeks out host , admit domestic dog , for a pedigree repast ( 2 ) . Lone whizz ticks used to be limited to the eastern , southeast and south - central part of the United States , but their range continues to expand . They have been find oneself as far north as Maine and as far west as Oklahoma .
The size and appearance of lone star ticks varies depending on their sex and life stage . Adult female person are the loose to distinguish because of the white dot — the namesake “ lone star ” on the center of their backs , telephone a scutum ( 3 ) . Their bodies rank in colour from whitened / cream to gold and bronze and grow from 4 millimeters to 16 millimeters ( or declamatory ) in diameter after a blood meal ( 4 ) .
grownup male are pocket-size and have gloomy brownish or reddened patches on their scutum and often have streak of white pigment around the outer edges of their bodies .
Lone Star Tick vs Deer Tick
The lone star tick and deer tick ( aka the blacklegged tick ) have several distinguishing features ( 5 ) . Like the lone star tick , female deer tick are larger than males but their scutum is dark brown to black in colour and has an overlay that is a shade of brownish - orange .
Their geographic grasp is different , too . Deer ticks are found in the Northeast and their range spans west and south to let in states in the Great Lakes region , Atlantic and Gulf Coast .
One of the biggest differences between the species is their questing behaviour , according to Andrea Egizi , Ph.D. , enquiry scientist at the Tick - Borne Disease Laboratory at the Monmouth County Division of Mosquito Control in New Jersey .
“ Lone star ticks are more alive questers , ” Egizi explicate . “ or else of await on a blade of grass for the host to brush against them , if [ a lone star tick ] sense CO2 , they really crawl toward a host … In contrast to other kinds of check mark that are more passive and they ’ll hold back for you to get along to them . ”
Are Lone Star Ticks Dangerous to Dogs? 4 Risks to Know
All ticks have the potential to channel disease to pets and multitude , Dr. Stone notes . So , what diseases do lone star ticks impart ? Here are some of the endangerment for dogs to know about :
Ehrlichiosis
Lone star ticks can transmit two different Ehrlichia bacteria : Ehrlichia chaffeensis , andEhrlichiaewingii . Dogs start register symptoms , include pyrexia , joint pain , loss of appetency , lameness , and anemia , within one to three week of being prick by an septic ticking ( 6 ) .
Your veterinary will lead blood examination to detect Ehrlichiosis antibodies ; if it ’s overconfident , ehrlichiosisis treated with a 28 - mean solar day dose of antibiotic . symptom should amend within two to three days of startle treatment .
Tularemia
Although tularemia is rare in dogs , case of the tick - bear disease have been report . unwellness is mild but symptoms can include fever , spark from the eyes or nozzle , swollen lymph nodes , and passing of appetite ( 7 ) .
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
As the name suggests , Rocky Mountain spotted feveris most vulgar in the Rocky Mountain states , but it ’s also find in the southeast where lone star tick are dominant .
Lone star ticks transmit theRickettsia rickettsiibacteria , but Egizi mention , “ In the eastern U.S. , people have tested a lot of check mark and not find very muchRickettsia rickettsii;the lone star tick can transport it , but it ’s very , very rarified . ”
Dogs with Rocky Mountain spotted febrility can experience a wide smorgasbord of signal , such as fever , deficiency of energy , stiffness when walking , and neurological abnormalities . The symptoms come along suddenly and can induce severe sickness that lasts weeks . It can be fatal , so immediate discourse is substantive .
Tick Paralysis
Some species of distaff check secrete a neurotoxin in their saliva that can causeparalysis . It ’s mostly an egress with American dog-iron ticks and cervid ticks , but other coinage can conduct the neurotoxins , too .
“ Tick paralysis is rare in dogs in the United States , ” say Dr. Stone . “ It ’s more rough-cut in Australia . ”
Symptoms like weakness , limb paralysis , facial drooping , and trouble chewing start around three to five days after a tick attache case . remotion of the septic check is the elemental method of discussion , and results in a rapid advance in symptoms . Some wienerwurst may demand hospitalisation and supportive care , such as IV fluid or , in more serious cases , mechanical ventilation .
In humans , lone star ticks can also transmit Southern tick - associate rash illness ( STARI ) , Heartland virus , and alpha - gal syndrome ( red meat allergy ) . These conditions are not known to touch dogs . In computed tomography , lone star ticks can transmit bobcat fever ( cytauxzoonosis ) , which is rarified but often fatal .
Lone Star Tick Bite Symptoms
You might note a check mark impound to your dog before you notice any symptoms . In general , Dr. Stone notes that want of zip or loss of appetite are the most common lone star tick wiener symptoms . Dogs bitten by disease - carrying check mark may also get :
Lone Star Tick on Dog: Next Steps
Lone star ticks can tie “ basically anywhere , ” according to Dr. Stone , but be given to favor the typeface , neck and ear , as well as dogs ’ backs and between the toes . If you make out a tick on your dog , grab atick removal tooland take away it immediately .
“ Avoid folklore remedies such as ‘ painting ’ the tick with nail refinement or petroleum jelly or using oestrus to make the ticking detach from the skin , ” Dr. Stone says . “ Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible — not waiting for it to come off . ”
To dispose of the tick , you could put it in rub alcohol or in a sealed bag or flush it down the toilet . “ Removal of the tick and monitoring for signs of illness are my distinctive recommendations , ” Dr. Stone supply .
Lone Star Ticks and Dogs: How to Protect Your Pup
To protect your dog against lone star ticks and other tick metal money , talk to your veterinary about flea and tick control . alternative range from unwritten medicine to topicals and collars . Credeliois a tasty chewable that kills tick and flea fast and last a full calendar month . To provide your dog with 360 - stage parasite auspices , ask your veterinarian aboutInterceptor Plus , which covers heartworm disease and four other worms .
After spend time out of doors with your dog , always conduct a “ check handicap ” and move out any tick that have attached .
Even though tick are less common in the cold month , Egizi believes keeping your dog on parasite control all year long is important . “ There are specie of ticks , like the blacklegged check mark , that will come out to quest any metre it ’s even slimly tender during the wintertime . ”
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