If you live in the Northeastern United States , you may enjoy the change seasons and a variety of outdoor activities ranging from hiking in the summertime and snowshoe in the wintertime to leaf - peeping in the fall and birdwatching in the spring . And if you ’re a pet parent , we bet your four - legged associate is a big part of how you make up one’s mind to drop your time .
But sponge live on in the Northeast can create braggart problem for our dogs and cat . flea , ticks , and mosquitoes can spread dangerous diseases and even cause severe unwellness and death .
While all of this may seem daunting , rest assured that any risks from these parasites can be avoided by taking precautions and keep your preferent onyear - round preventatives .
Keep translate for a regional templet to heartworm disease , flea , and check in the Northeastern states of New York , Connecticut , New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Massachusetts , Rhode Island , New Hampshire , Vermont , and Maine .
Heartworm Diseasein the Northeast
Heartworm diseaseis a serious illness that could lead to lung disease , heart failure , and death if untreated . The disease is transmitted by a mosquito infected with theDirofilaria immitisparasite seize with teeth your ducky . The parasite multiplies in the heart , lung , and rakehell vessels of the infected creature .
According to Dr. Jennifer Rizzo , the current president of theAmerican Heartworm Societyand an pinch vet atBlue Pearl Pet Hospital in Gainesville , Florida , heartworm is diffuse northerly due to the motion of shelter brute from the south to facilitate reduce overcrowding and spare multitudinous andiron from mercy killing .
“ While the organization who help with transport do their best to foreclose transmission of heartworms , trial may not turn positivist until ducky have already go far at their new home , ” Dr. Rizzo says .
Although southern states still have the highest routine of heartworm shell , according to theHeartworm Incidence Mapfrom the American Heartworm Society , the number of cases is growing in the Northeast .
“ We ’ve late seen increased incidence in New York , Massachusetts , and Connecticut , but fundamentally every population center has the potential for increased heartworm incidence , ” states Dr. Doug Carithers , music director of applied enquiry forBoehringer Ingleheimin Duluth , Georgia , who is on the control board of the American Heartworm Society .
Mosquitoes are n’t just relegated to wooded areas , swamps , and backyards . According to Dr. Carithers , these pesky critter also thrive in microclimates near estrus - sinks in paved areas , brick buildings , and other heat sources . Therefore , urban area can be habitats for mosquito , too .
mosquito that transmit heartworm disease to darling in the Northeast are at their bloom in the give , summer and evenfall calendar month , but the risk of infection of heartworm disease is all year around .
“ Some pet owners might call back heartworm is only a risk of infection to their favorite during the warm month , ” suppose Dr. Susan Denault , a New Hampshire - base veterinarian atBanfield Pet Hospital . “ However , Banfield ’s data emphasize the importance of year - round prevention as charge per unit of heartworm diagnosing in deary seen at our hospitals stayed comparatively the same throughout all four seasons in 2023 . ”
Fleasin the Northeast
In plus to being uncomfortable and irritating , fleas are biting and blood - sucking parasites that cause skin problems and bacterial infections for favorite .
“ By the time you start to noticesigns of a flea infestation , your favourite will already be suffering the effects of them , ” says Dr. Denault . “ You will already haveflea eggsin your carpet and furniture . They live where your pets live , slumber , consume , and play . ”
These opprobrious to reddish - brownish nuisance can live in your yard , particularly where there is shade and humidity . They also reside in shrubs , marvelous grasses , and piles of leaves and debris .
“ flea can be found during all months of the year , though there is an increase in cases in the warmer month , ” say Dr. Lindsay Kendrick , medical conductor forVeterinary Emergency Groupin Boston , Massachusetts .
Both dogs and cat subsist in the Northeast are susceptible to flea infestations . Pets can get fleas if they spend time out of doors , but humans , rodents , and other pets can bring these parasites indoors . raging fauna found in the Northeast realm , like chipmunk , opossums , and raccoon , can carry fleas into your yard and spread them to your pet .
accord to Dr. Alex Blutinger , medical director at the Veterinary Emergency Group inGreenwich , Connecticut , andWhite Plains , New York , fleas are most common in indoor and outdoor pets who are not getting their steady flea and ticking birth control machine .
Ticksin the Northeast
According to Dr. Denault , ticks are determine in most part of the state but these sponge have expanded their range to Northeastern states in recent years as a resultant of milder wintersdue to mood variety .
It ’s a common misconception that ticks are only alive in the summer . Ticks really thrive wherever the temperature isabove 30 degrees Fahrenheit , withApril through Octoberbeing prime tick season .
Ticks tend to catch a ride on your cad after a hike , camping trip , or even take the air in grassy or wooded areas . to boot , “ ticks themselves are circularise by many dissimilar animals , include birds that can transport them long distance , ” says Dr. Denault . Apart from cervid , other animal that are host to ticks arerodents and mouse . Cats who go out of doors get tick in the same way our canine companions pick them up .
When bitten by an infected tick , your ducky potentially gets exposed to anumber of serious diseases . “ In our area , several type of check mark can transmit diseases to dogs , ” articulate Dr. Kendrick . “ These let in blacklegged ticks , also known as cervid ticks , which can hold the bacterium that cause Lyme disease , anaplasmosis , and ehrlichiosis . ”
Lyme disease fetch its name from the town ofLyme , Connecticut . Dr. Denault states that Lyme disease has been identified across the land , but its highest prevalence is in the Northeast and the Great Lakes regions . Climate change is alsoincreasing typeface of babesiosis , an emerge transmission which get anaemia , with severe disease leading to death .
Below are plebeian tick - borne diseases touch ducky in the Northeast and the ticking species that cause them :
Another tick - relate precondition to keep an heart out for istick palsy . This is n’t an infectious disease . It ’s do in hot dog by a reaction to check spit . Ticks in the Northeast that induce check paralysis admit the deer tick / blackleg tick , lone star tick , and American dog tick .
Ticks in New York
check mark in New York country can be get from the shores of Montauk to the forests of Upstate and anywhere there are wooded and grassy areas . They can even live in backyards .
According to Dr. Blutinger , animals that spend time outside or in wooded areas are at a specially high risk of infection and should be protect through monthly preventatives . “ Ticks tend to thrive most in warm , humid weather , but they pose a risk as long as the temperature is above freeze . ” In New York , they aremostly foundin understory vegetation , trail edge vegetation , and wooded and grassy areas .
type of Ticks in New York Dangerous for ducky
Tick - Borne Diseases Diagnosed in New York
Ticks in Connecticut
check in Connecticutare abundantin forests , their surrounding areas , and in tall grassy brush bordering woodlands . The deer ticking , as its name point , uses deer as hosts . Increases inwhite - tailed deer populationin the state is lead to the growth of the tick population .
Among the types of ticks in Connecticut listed below , non - nativeAsian longhorned tickswerefirst find in Connecticutin 2018 . They are known to causeserious illnessand they typically are seen in the thousands . fit in to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , ticks in Connecticut are livingyear rounddue to mood change .
Types of Ticks in Connecticut Dangerous for pet
Tick - Borne Diseases Diagnosed in Connecticut
Ticks in New Jersey
According toNew Jersey Pisces and Wildlife , there are several types of check in New Jersey and they personate a menace to outdoor enthusiasts , allmouth , birders , and others enjoying nature . The Garden State ’s landscape swan from the Southeastern coastal plain to the Kittatinny Mountains in the Northwest , with major rivers like the Delaware and Raritan Rivers run through it , where people and their favorite can savour the great outdoors .
The Asian longhorned check mark , native to East Asia , was first fall upon in 2017 on a sheep in New Jersey and the species spread to other res publica by 2020 . This invading tick appear in the K and can do dying to animals due to ancestry loss . One tick can produce up to 2000 eggs , and they incline to infest farm animals , horses , raccoons , phalanger , and dog-iron in Northeastern state .
Types of Ticks in New Jersey Dangerous for favorite
Tick - Borne Diseases diagnose in New Jersey
Ticks in Pennsylvania
The Keystone State is an outdoor - lover ’s paradise , with rolling hills and river like the Delaware and Lehigh . The Appalachian Mountains run from the south central arena to the Northeastern part of the body politic and the Allegheny Mountains lie to the western United States . This also means many opportunity for ticking to thrive and seek host , especially in the warmer months .
There are several type of ticks in Pennsylvania . Out of 900 specie of ticks worldwide , you could find25 of them in Pennsylvania . Themost prevalent tick - borne diseaseseen in pets in Pennsylvania is Lyme disease .
Types of Ticks in Pennsylvania Dangerous for Pets
Tick - Borne Diseases Diagnosed in Pennsylvania
Ticks in Massachusetts
Themost commonticks determine in yard and in wooded and forested areas of the body politic are cervid ticks and hound tick . Lone champion ticks are discover in some percentage as well .
character of Ticks in Massachusetts Dangerous for Pets
Tick - Borne Diseases diagnose in Massachusetts
Ticks in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is known for its Gilded Age sign and spectacular seaside scenery , but the smallest United States Department of State in the land is no alien to ticks , which are find in thick brush and tall grassy field . The deer tick / rat check is the most common tick in Rhode Island causing issues for pet . Lone star ticks have also spread northerly and expand into the state of matter .
eccentric of Ticks in Rhode Island Dangerous for ducky
Tick - Borne Diseases Diagnosed in Rhode Island
Ticks in New Hampshire
With its imperial deal and beautiful lake , the Granite State disembowel hoi polloi to its great outdoors . Tick Free New Hampshireclaims the body politic has had the high incidences of Lyme disease in the country in late years , putting both pets and people at risk of infection of getting infect by these pesky parasite .
Types of Ticks in New Hampshire Dangerous for Pets
Tick - Borne Diseases diagnose in New Hampshire
Ticks in Vermont
Among the 15 types of ticks in Vermont , the blacklegged tick is the most abundant and is responsible for the absolute majority of tick - borne illnesses cover . According to a 2021studyby the Vermont Department of Health , 92 percent of the ticks collected were blackleg tick and over half of them were infect with the pathogenBorrelia burgdorferithat make Lyme disease .
Types of Ticks in Vermont Dangerous for Pets
Tick - Borne Diseases diagnose in Vermont
Ticks in Maine
With temperatures rising , more and more adventurers are take reward of Maine ’s rocky coastline and nature - base activities . But humans and their pets are also getting exposed to tick - borne disease as deer ( and the ticks that go with them ) are migrate northbound . In the last two decades , theincidence of tick - support diseases in the State Department – let in Lyme disease , anaplasmosis , and babesiosis – has increase dramatically . On average,1 out of every 8 dogsthat are screen for Lyme disease in Maine test incontrovertible .
Types of Ticks in Maine Dangerous for favourite
Tick - Borne Diseases diagnose in Maine
Living in the Northeast:Protecting Your PetFrom Parasites
Although flea , tick , and mosquito that carry heartworm disease are a real danger for darling and people go in the Northeastern U.S. , there are several affair you may do to keep yourself and your pet protected .
See below for tips and entropy on how you could protect your pets from flea , ticks , and heartworms .
Heartworm Preventative Care
Put your deary on a year - pear-shaped heartworm preventative . Get a prescription from your veterinary surgeon for heartworm prevention , commend Dr. Carithers . It ’s authoritative to forbid the disease , because handle a heartworm transmission in dogs is difficult and costly . “ Permanent damage often go on in the lung of the domestic dog , even before the wiener test confirming for a heartworm infection , ” he add .
exercise mosquito management . Control the mosquito universe in your backyard to keep down the hazard of heartworm disease . Dr. Carithers observe that the United States Department of State of Florida focused on mosquito respite to ascertain a pleasant experience for tourists and , as a result , the province has the low heartworm relative incidence in all of the southern states .
set your favourite ’s exposure to mosquitoes . According to Dr. Rizzo , minimizing outdoor activities during peak mosquito feedings ( fall and dawn ) and forfend mosquito habitat , include stand water , will greatly reduce the risk of heartworm .
Try a mosquito repellant . preferred owners can also use topical FDA- or EPA - approved mosquito repellents and insecticides for pets to provide additional protection . “ While using these products can reduce exposure to mosquito carrying heartworms , they should be used in conjunction with heartworm preventive , not instead of them , ” Dr. Rizzo add .
Do n’t skip heartworm examination . If you ’ve adopt a dog from the South , get a blood testto see to it your pet does n’t have heartworm disease . Typically , saving do their test before adopting the creature , but testing with your own veterinarian after adoption can help prevent the bedcover of heartworm disease in your area . Veterinarians recommend up - to - date heartworm examination once per year , even if pets are on a heartworm prophylactic machine .
Keep your Arabian tea secure . Despite the prevalence of heartworm disease in dogs , cats can get infected with heartworms tooand require to be on a heartworm preventative . “ There is presently no safe treatment to remove or kill grownup heartworms in cat , ” sound out Dr. Denault . “ Infected cats can only be treated supportively and symptomatically . ”
Fleas and Ticks Preventative Care
Provide favorite with year - round flea and tick prevention . Keeping your pets gratuitous of fleas and safe from tick - borne disease is easy by administer preventative . Many product O.K. by the FDA can protect dog and cats against fleas , check , and other parasite like enteral worms with one medication . Make certain to play along the producer ’s instructions and your vet ’s recommendation for dosing and use to secure the production are good and efficacious .
Always determine for ticks . Check your favourite for ticks if they ’ve been outside in wooded or grassy areas and remove any ticks you find quickly to reduce the risk of transmitting , recommends Dr. Denault . “ If you remove a ticking from your favorite or have reason to consider your pet may have been expose to Lyme bacterium , watch for and get through your veterinarian right away if you noticeany signsin the weeks that watch . ”
Practice honest preparation . Brush your pet on a regular basis and expend a flea comb , which can help find and remove flea . you could also regard using flea and ticktack preventatives in the form of shampoos , rinses , and sprays that are sanction for use with the EPA or FDA , recommends Dr. Denault . Just recall – these should be used in junction with a year - bout oral or topical flea and check mark contraceptive gadget .
involve your veterinary about the Lyme vaccinum . If you savour go bad hiking with your dog on a regular basis , speak with your veterinarian aboutgetting a Lyme vaccineto prevent the bed cover of Lyme bacterium from ticks to your heel . Keep covered when in tick - prone areas . When out hiking or spending a lot of time outdoors , protect yourself by wearing lightsome colored clothing ( so ticks are seeable ) , long - sleeved shirt , and long pants . you’re able to also apply a check repellent to expose skin and walk in the center of paths to avert grassy areas where ticks live .
