A Few Facts About Ticks

• Commonly thought of as insects, ticks are actually arachnids or eight-legged creatures, like the spider.
  
  
• Ticks are usually found in wooded areas.
  
  
• According to the National Pet Health & Care Network (NPHCN), there are two types of ticks--soft ticks and hard ticks. Hard ticks are the most commonly found on pets. When the hard tick is feeding, it ingests the host's blood, keeps the solid material from the blood and returns the liquid plasma back to the host.
  
  
• Ticks like temperatures that are consistently above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. They are most prevalent in the United States from spring through fall. In warmer states, there is a risk year round.
  
  
• Ticks have a four-stage life cycle: Egg, Larval, Nymphal and Adult. In order to pass to the next stage, the tick must have a blood meal.
  
  
• The NPHCN warns that each time a tick feeds on a host, it may pick up a disease organism from its host and then pass it on to its next host-possibly your pet.
  
  
• Acoording to the NPHCN, ticks prefer to attach to your pet's head, neck and paws, but they can attach anywhere. If you see or feel a tick, remove it immediately. Ticks usually can't transmit disease organisms during their first attachment. Early removal can help ensure that disease is not transmitted.
  
  
• Remove any ticks carefully with tweezers, making sure not to squeeze the tick. Never use heat to make the tick back out--that can make the situation worse. After you remove the tick, save it in a plastic bag. Continue to check your pet for signs of disease. If complications develop, take both your pet and the tick to the veterinarian.
  
  
• Diseases transmitted by ticks include: Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Enhrlichiosis, Babesiosis, and Cytauxzoon.
  

This information provided courtesy of Sergeant's Pet Products Inc.