Ticks are out well into fall

#MiddleburyCT #Dogs #Ticks

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My dog, Austin, was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease. He’s responding very well to treatment with antibiotics. Still, I’m wracking my brain as to how he was exposed. I check him for ticks every time we go out hiking, and I’ve never found one. I avoid trails in the deep woods during the summer months, when there’s a lot of brush and ticks are out. What can I do to protect him from another tick bite? – Zack in Asheville, North Carolina

DEAR ZACK: I’m glad to hear Austin is on the mend! Lyme disease in dogs can be very debilitating.

The most important tool in the tick-fighting arsenal is prevention. Use a flea and tick preventive treatment – like a topical ointment or a chewable medication – to arm your dog in advance of going outside. Oral treatments often have the added advantage of heartworm medication to prevent this dangerous transmitted disease in dogs from fleas and mosquitoes.

Avoiding the deep woods in summer is one way to reduce the chance of acquiring a tick (or three, or four), but ticks can lurk right in your yard and around the neighborhood. Keep the lawn mowed and brush trimmed back, and remove any debris piles around your property. Vacuum carpets weekly and sweep and mop the floors regularly.

Check Austin every day for ticks, even on days that you don’t go out hiking. It’s not unheard of to miss a tick in a dog’s fur before it’s latched on to the skin – and you have a 48-hour window to locate and remove an attached tick before Lyme exposure occurs. Finally, talk to the vet about whether a Lyme vaccine would be a good choice for your dog.

Send your tips, comments or questions to ask@pawscorner.com.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.