When and where ticks are active
In Lithuania ticks are active from spring, once the snow melts and it warms up, until late autumn, and in a mild winter they can turn up later still. They wait in long grass, bushes, woodland edges and parks, even on city lawns.
A tick does not bite straight away: it crawls through the coat for a while, looking for a spot. That is why it matters to check your dog as soon as possible after a walk.
Check your dog after every walk
After every walk in grass or woods, run your hands over your dog's whole coat. Check the head, ears, neck, armpits, belly, groin and between the toes especially carefully.
Young ticks are very small and easy to miss in a dark or thick coat. If you find a tick attached, ask your vet how to remove it properly, or have it done at the clinic.
Diseases ticks carry to dogs
Ticks carry babesiosis, Lyme disease and anaplasmosis to dogs. Babesiosis damages red blood cells and can get worse quickly, so it is an emergency.
Signs can appear days or weeks after the bite, long after the tick is gone. Dark, brown or reddish urine, a fever and dullness after a tick bite mean your dog needs a vet now.
Protection, and cats
There are different ways to protect a dog from ticks, and which one suits yours depends on its age, health and way of life. Talk to your vet about it before the season starts.
Cats pick up ticks too, especially those that go outdoors. Never use a tick product meant for dogs on a cat without asking a vet: some of them are poisonous to cats.
What to do
- After every walk in grass or woods, check your dog.
- Check the head, ears, neck, armpits, belly and between the toes especially carefully.
- Before the season, ask your vet which protection suits your dog.
- Ask your vet how to remove a tick properly.
- Never use a tick product meant for dogs on a cat without asking a vet.
- For a few weeks after a bite, watch your dog's urine colour, appetite and mood.
When to contact a vet urgently
Contact a vet straight away if, after a tick bite or a walk in tick season, your dog's urine has turned dark, brown or reddish, or your dog has a fever, has become dull, will not eat, or its gums have turned pale or yellowish. Contact a vet too if your dog starts limping or its joints swell, and if your cat has become dull or will not eat.