Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts. Warmth from
body heat and carbon dioxide which is exhaled attracts them. The actual
tick bite is not painful; it is the diseases they cause that are the
problem. Since it takes several hours for the attached tick to transmit
disease, it is easy to prevent any problems, if you are conscientious.
Ticks are most active during the spring and fall and some species in summer as well. They are vectors (an organism that serves to transport and deliver an infectious organism from one host to another) for bacteria like Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. Lyme disease is not common.
Lots of dogs will test positive for Borrelia antibodies even though they are not sick, but because they have been exposed to it from a tick. A tick has delivered a small number of bacteria into the body but the immune system has taken care of it.
Lyme disease manifests differently in humans than in dogs. With dogs it takes weeks to months to show any signs. It is usually arthritis symptoms that are noticed. Sometimes there can be a fever but luckily the symptoms of canine Lyme disease respond to proper antibiotics.
Ticks can also cause tick paralysis, except in cats, as they are resistant to the disease. Clinical signs will appear 5-9 days post tick and progress from hind limb weakness to quadriplegia over the next 24-72 hours. If the tick is not removed, death can occur from respiratory paralysis. Removing the tick usually results in improvement within 24 hours and complete recovery within 72 hours. So luckily because treatment only consists of removing the tick (and supportive care) most animals recover.
The moral of the story is: examine your dog thoroughly for ticks after a walk in the woods or the park and if you find a tick on your dog, remove it as quickly as possible as it takes several hours for the tick to transmit disease. After each walk, run you hands over your dog’s body, focusing mostly on the head, ears, neck and feet.
To remove a tick, the first thing is to make sure is that it actually is a tick; a small growth can look like a tick. Ticks are no bigger than a centimetre; they are grey or light brown and they have 8 tiny legs. The best tool to use is a “tick remover” or you can use tweezers. It is very important not to squeeze the tick’s body while removing it. Get hold of the tick underneath the body and pull straight up and out. Keep the tick and arrange with your veterinarian to have it sent for testing. The tick will be cultured for bacteria by the BC Centre of Disease Control.
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