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Ban Black-Legged Ticks: How to Protect Your Dog from Lyme Disease

Dogs and people can get Lyme Disease from black-legged ticks, also called deer ticks. Lyme disease is no longer just an Eastern problem but spreads throughout the country. Protect your dog’s wellness with this information on preventing Lyme disease. 

 

#1: Avoid walking your dog in areas where ticks are likely to be

Ticks don’t fall out of trees to attack their victims, but they are likely to be found in heavily wooded areas. Tall grass, brush, and weeds provide the perfect opportunity for ticks to “quest” for their next meal, which means they climb up the plant and stretch out, waiting for the next warm body to venture past. To avoid ticks, walk in the center of trails through the woods, or stick to sidewalks in more populated areas.

 

#2: Discourage ticks from making a home in your yard

If your dog spends a great deal of time in the backyard, you may be inadvertently exposing them to ticks. Landscape your yard appropriately to discourage ticks and their hosts from making a home there. Start by clearing tall grasses and brush around your home and at the edge of the lawn. Mow your yard frequently and keep leaves raked. Place a 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and any wooded area, in addition to around your patio. This will restrict tick migration into your most frequented areas. Also, stack wood neatly and in a dry area to discourage rodents that ticks feed on. 

 

#3: Vaccinate your dog for Lyme disease

An annual vaccination is available for dogs to help protect them from Lyme disease. Speak to our team to see if adding this vaccine to your dog’s protocol is a good idea.

 

Remove ticks from pets with steady, even pressure. Grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible, then pull straight back with a steady motion. Our team can identify the tick and advise you on how to remove it. Contact our team if you find a tick on your pet and for more information about tick-borne illness signs.