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What can I do about ticks & what diseases can they cause?

The warming sun rays of spring are finally here, but with the warm weather, unfortunately, something that most dog owners probably have not longed for: the ticks.

The diseases that come with the small but nasty ticks are dangerous and can in many cases be life threatening. It can be smart to find a tick that feels good for you as a dog owner and gives your dog good protection. There are different types of necklaces, prescription tablets, powders and more that will keep the little bugs away.


What happens when my dog ​​is bitten by a tick?
It is important to know that not all ticks carry infection. A rule of thumb is to always check the dog every night for ticks - if you find one that has become stuck, remove it immediately!

Either way, you can pinch it with your fingers if you feel comfortable with it - it's important that your head doesn't get stuck. Otherwise, there are so-called tools such as tick tweezers, tick pickers or ticking cords that will easily help you remove the tick safely!


If the dog gets infected - what does it get sick and what symptoms occur?
If your dog is infected, it most likely has either a disease called borreliosis or an infection called anaplasmosis. TBE that humans usually get is very rare in dogs.


Borreliosis (Borrelia) - Caused by a bacterium where the tick creates an infection by sucking blood for at least a day. Even though the tick is removed, it can take a long time before the disease shows any symptoms. Most dogs that have been transmitted by a tick do not get sick. The symptoms of tick borne in dogs are generalized condition, fever, fatigue, soreness, stiff joints and hernia which sometimes move between different bones, so-called wandering herbs.


Anaplasmosis / Anaplasm (Granulocytary Anaplasmosis) - A so-called bacterial infection where the dog gets symptoms such as fever, fatigue, drowsiness, poor appetite and shows signs of pain, tenderness and stiffness. They often experience a lack of platelets that appear during blood tests at the veterinarian. Even in this infection, the tick need to have sucked blood for over a day. After the bite it takes about 1-2 weeks before the dog shows symptoms. The dog can get infected and either get seriously ill or feel ill with weaker symptoms. In treatment, recovery occurs very quickly.