Furry Kids Refuge - Animal Resue in Missouri and Kansas

Fall’s coming but don’t let down your guard when it comes to tick prevention for your animals or yourself. Ticks (small, spider-like parasites) attach to skin and feed on blood. While most tick bites do not result in disease, tick bites should never be ignored.

In man and beast, early signs of tick-borne disease are fairly similar. Symptoms may include rashes, fever, fatigue, swelling, appetite changes, weight loss, headaches, muscle or joint pain, and other cold or flu-like symptoms. Early medical attention is critical for successful treatment of these diseases. In addition to prescribing medication, the doctor can run blood tests to pinpoint the disease. As follows are a few of the most common:

Lyme Disease – A bacterial infection which, if untreated, can lead to debilitating conditions like arthritis or inflammation of the heart, brain and/or brain stem. Permanent damage to the heart and nervous system can result.

Ehrlichia – A bacterial infection which, if untreated, can lead to kidney failure, arthritis, inflammation of the brain or brain stem, respiratory distress, seizures, and/or coma.

Babesiosis – A parasitic, malaria-like blood infection which attacks the red blood cells. If untreated, severe anemia, respiratory distress, and/or organ failure may follow.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – A bacterial infection which attacks so rapidly and aggressively that antibiotic treatment often is started before conclusive diagnosis is reached. Signs can be very vague, and may include high fever, rash, and bleeds in soft tissue or into the brain can occur. Without prompt treatment, the infection may be fatal.

Found one! Here is your quick guide to responding appropriately when a tick is discovered.

Using fine-tipped tweezers, firmly grasp the entire tick including its head (tips of the tweezers should be slightly pushing into the skin at the site). Then slowly pull the tick straight out. Don’t twist or rock the tick as the body may separate leaving the head anchored to the skin.

If the head is left in, don’t panic! It should work its way out just like a sliver. Diseases are carried in the tick’s gut, and the tick must be attached for 24 hours or longer before disease reaches the tick’s salivary glands.

Drop the tick into a small cup of rubbing alcohol to kill it. Then flush it down the toilet or drain.

Wash your hands and then clean the bite site with alcohol.

Contact your vet or physician immediately if you believe part of the tick has not been removed, if you believe that the tick may have been attached for over 24 hours, or if there are immune system or other health concerns which may warrant preventative treatment with antibiotics.

Continue to inspect the bite site for 24 to 48 hours looking for redness, rash, a red bull’s eye ring, discharge, or any signs of infection.

Watch for signs of illness during the next 2 to 4 weeks. At the first sign of any illness or infection, contact the doctor and explain that the patient has sustained a tick bite. This information is very important to avoid misdiagnosis. If your doctor dismisses your concerns about tick-borne illness, you may ask for blood test to confirm or you may wish to get a second opinion.

Of course, the best tick bite is no tick bite at all. Remove long grass and brush from living or high traffic areas. In areas with long grass and brush, humans should use bug repellants, wear clothing to cover skin, and regularly inspect front and back including the scalp for any invaders. Pets need monthly flea and tick preventative year round (don’t forget their monthly heart worm preventative too) and should be inspected for ticks daily (from snout to stern) especially from April to October.