Putting an End to the Dog Days of Summer with Canine-Friendly Tick Control

Late summer is the season many pet owners start to see ticks crawling on their dog’s fur after a walk, and even sometimes attached to their skin.  Pets that are treated by a topical or oral tick deterrent are better protected by those that are not, however even through proper application and timing of these medicines, ticks are still hard to keep off your pet. A great deal of these preventatives require that the tick bites the pet in order to die which could possibly put your pet at risk for a vector-borne illness from the tick bite. Our goal is to eliminate and prevent ticks to ensure that you, your family and your pets don’t “pick up” a tick on your treated property.

The heat, humidity and weather conditions from late July until the arrival of autumn make the perfect conditions for ticks to be out in full force. This time of year is also a time when you and your pets are outdoors enjoying the season together. More time outdoors means a greater chance of your dog picking up a tick and being bitten by it. Dogs love to explore, and as a result are often exposing themselves to the very areas where ticks thrive such as rock piles, brush and debris and near the woods. Tick bites are like playing a game of Russian roulette because you cannot determine if a tick is carrying a bacteria or virus that could make your dog sick just by the appearance of the tick. Dogs contract tick-borne illnesses and disease in the same manner people can, the most dangerous canine tick-borne illness of these is Lyme disease. Lyme disease portrays different symptoms in the canine set than those that occur in a human infection of Lyme disease.

Many times dogs with Lyme disease exhibit symptoms of recurrent lameness due to inflammation of the joints that is often mistaken for arthritis. A common symptom of canine Lyme is depression, and lack of appetite and a general lack of perkiness in a usually playful pooch. More severe complications from the disease include kidney damage, heart damage and nervous system damage.  According to Pet MD, which offers pet owners a virtual plethora of pet related information at  your fingertips, points out that kidney disease brought on by canine Lyme disease is more prevalent in  Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers, and Bernese Mountain dogs. Younger dogs are also more susceptible to contracting Lyme disease than adult dogs for reasons researchers are still trying to pinpoint. Other symptoms that could indicate your dog may be suffering from Lyme disease are; Sensitivity to touch, difficulty breathing,  stiff walking sometimes accompanied by the dog arching his back and swollen lymph nodes near  or in closest proximity to the site of the tick bite itself.

Since our dogs are most often times a confidant and each caring pet owner shares a common bond with their four legged friend, it is crucial to exercise smart tick practices to keep your dog from coming into contact with a tick that could potentially infect him with the Lyme bacterium. Keeping your pet on a regular schedule of tick preventative according to your veterinarian’s advice is crucial. In addition, including a tick control program within your yard will reduce the risk of your dog being bitten while in his own surroundings. Mosquito Squad of the North Shore recommends our highly effective tick tube program used in conjunction with our safe and effective barrier treatment program.

Tick tubes work by eliminating the tick (deer ticks) that carries Lyme by interrupting the tick’s life cycle. Deer ticks use rodents such as mice by hitching a ride back to their nest during the larval stage of the tick’s life. They can then feed from the mice and mature to nymphal stage where they then seek out hosts like humans, other animals and our dogs to feed from. Tick tubes contain cotton that are treated with an insecticide that is safe for us, and the mice, but are deadly to the immature tick. The mice take the cotton back to their nests and thus, kill the ticks harboring within. Effective tick tube use can reduce your chances, and your pet’s chances of coming into contact with a potentially infected tick by up to 97% on treated property. We then follow up with another layer of protection by using our safe and highly effective barrier sprays to eliminate any existing ticks within your property. This program is layered to deliver double protection, proven results and a tick-free season for you and your pet.

Contact Mosquito Squad of the North Shore to learn about making your property safer for yourself, your family and your beloved pets. Call us today for a free quote.