Basic Facts You Need To Know About Dog Ticks

Taking your dog to explore the woodland or other areas that have an abundance of vegetation may be an exciting time for both you and them, but there's also a good possibility that you 'll come back with some uninvited guests. Ticks are one of the most common types of parasites that infect dogs-- and as a result of this, they can often be passed on to humans as well. They typically live on long grass, shrubs or other vegetation where they wait for a suitable warm-blooded creature to come along so they can cling onto them and suck their blood for a period of hours or even several days. When they've had their fill, the female tick will drop off and move on to lay anywhere from 2000 to 6000 eggs so the cycle can repeat itself.

Ticks on dogs can become a serious problem, not just for the discomfort they can cause your dog but for the diseases they can transmit as well as the paralysis toxin certain ticks release when they 're attached to your dog. Some of the diseases they carry also have the ability to infect humans and make them very sick. Two of the more common are Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever within the eastern and central regions of the United States. In a small percentage of cases, paralysis from ticks can also result in fatality. With the correct treatment and by taking adequate prevention measures, however, you can easily minimize these dangers associated with ticks on dogs.

The first step in being able to treat ticks on dogs is recognizing the associated symptoms. Several types of ticks cause paralysis when they bite into their victim and release a toxin into the bloodstream. This usually starts in the rear legs of a dog before spreading to other parts of the body. Other signs of paralysis include an uncharacteristic laziness or loss of appetite. The various diseases that ticks can transmit via the bloodstream also each have their own symptoms. Lyme disease will usually result in swelling and pain around where the dog is bitten, as well as fever, a lack of energy and reduced appetite. Rocky Mountain spotted fever can present reddening of the eyes, fever and headaches in both humans and dogs. If your dog exhibits any of the above symptoms and you have no other good explanation for it, then you should check for a tick immediately.

For more information on ticks on dogs visit HeartMyDog.com or visit this helpful video: http://youtu.be/krqayN1IgEw