{"id":797,"date":"2017-06-26T00:49:52","date_gmt":"2017-06-25T19:19:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.www.buddylifemagazine.com\/\/?p=797"},"modified":"2017-06-26T00:49:52","modified_gmt":"2017-06-25T19:19:52","slug":"tick-alert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buddylifemagazine.com\/tick-alert","title":{"rendered":"Tick Alert!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound is true in case of ticks, the possibly fatal pest known to be carriers of many blood-borne bacterial pathogens<\/p>\n

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We have all heard of them. Perhaps some of us have had the displeasure of finding one of these little critters attached to the skin of our pets. The very thought of these ectoparasites sends shudders up the spine for the simple reason that the parasite can lend your pet into real trouble, sometime fatal. Yep, I\u2019m talking about ticks – tiny arachnids, a class that includes spiders and mites that characteristically feed on the blood of host animals. It\u2019s an external parasite that embeds itself in the skin of animals. Once it lands, it inserts its mouthparts into the skin and that single tick has the potential to pass on multiple diseases. Ticks lay eggs that give rise to the larval life stage. The larva will then develop into a nymph stage and ultimately grow to become an adult. Every dog harbours external parasites like ticks, fleas or mites. Some of them are responsible for superficial skin infection while others manifest systemically. Tick fever is a serious systemic infection caused by Ehrlichia and Babesia species in canines and these organisms are carried by ticks from infected dog to healthy dog, just like malaria parasite, where mosquito acts as a vector. What can we do to protect our furry little from ticks and the diseases that they carry? Try to control the parasites. Prevention and early detection are the best ways of protecting your pets against tick fever. The intent is to stop it before any symptoms appear. Should the disease progress, symptoms can include stiff, painful and swollen joints, and a limp that comes and goes, often appearing to switch sides. Some dogs have an arched back and a stiff walk. More serious, however, are fever, difficulty breathing and kidney failure. When bitten, the skin of some pets may become red and irritated around the site, while others may not even notice the parasite attached to them. It is imperative then, that you inspect your pet regularly and thoroughly. Should you find a tick on your pet, it must be removed very carefully to ensure that the mouthparts are fully removed. If left behind, they can abscess and cause infection.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

EARLY SIGNS<\/h3>\n