Ticks are tiny creatures that can potentially cause big problems for both people and pets. They come in many shapes and sizes. There are nine species of concern in the United States. Each species has several life stages which can range in size from as small as a period at the end of a sentence in a newspaper, to a watermelon seed sized unfed adult, to the size of a small grape in an engorged adult female. Different species and life stages of ticks have different host preferences, but they all have the potential if not predilection to feed on humans and pets. Different species are also more or less implicated in transmitting different diseases, but a good rule of thumb is that any tick found on a person or a pet is suspect.Ticks transmit important diseases including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,Tularemia and Lyme Disease.These diseases can generally only be transmitted from pets to humans through tick intermediates, though some diseases have potential for transmission through blood to blood contact. Different regions of the United States have higher prevalence of these diseases. For example, Lyme Disease is especially prevalent in the Northeast. However, residents of other regions should still be aware of these diseases because of travel and potential transport of disease causing organisms. These diseases carry with them the potential for dangerous consequences for the life and health of the people and pets that contract them.Feeding by some species of ticks has also been implicated in a potentially life threatening paralytic syndrome called “Tick Paralysis” that has been evident in both humans and pets. More information on Tick Paralysis can be found on the button below from an article published by the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists. Precautions can be taken to prevent tick infestations and infection with tick transmitted diseases. Check yourself and your animals for ticks after spending time outside. Safely and gently remove ticks that you find feeding. Talk to your veterinarian about products that can deter ticks from feeding on your pets, and vaccinations against diseases that ticks transmit. Veterinarians are excellent sources of information for any pet owners that are concerned about tick-transmitted diseases in their pets. Additional information on ticks, the diseases that they transmit, and how to manage them is found on the button below. (Opens in a new tab.)
Different species are also more or less implicated in transmitting different diseases, but a good rule of thumb is that any tick found on a person or a pet is suspect. Ticks transmit important diseases including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia and Lyme Disease.
These diseases can generally only be transmitted from pets to humans through tick intermediates, though some diseases have potential for transmission through blood to blood contact. Different regions of the United States have higher prevalence of these diseases. For example, Lyme Disease is especially prevalent in the Northeast. However, residents of other regions should still be aware of these diseases because of travel and potential transport of disease causing organisms. These diseases carry with them the potential for dangerous consequences for the life and health of the people and
pets that contract them.