It’s the season of pests, and you should be aware of the pests that may be bothering you and your pets this year. You have the scarier pests like ticks that carry more than just a bite, and then you have the smaller pests like deer flies that bother and bite everyone! Either way, it’s best that you prepare yourself, and I have just the info to help you do that. In this post, we will be covering ticks. We will go over types of ticks and which ones are most dangerous, what to look for on you and your pet, how to properly remove them, how to properly identify them, how to destroy and dispose of them, and how to effectively avoid them!
Ticks have been a hot topic this year, and their populations are growing across Canada. Ticks are some of the most dangerous pests out there for our pets, and also for ourselves. Did you know that in Canada, there are over 40 species of ticks? In the USA, there are over 90! In Canada, we are somewhat lucky because our weather is colder and less favourable to most ticks, but some ticks are not bothered by the cold at all, and still feed all winter long. As you will see from the chart below of commonly found ticks in Canada, the ticks of primary concern are the Blacklegged Ticks and the Dog Tick, as these are the primary tick ‘vectors’. Tick vectors are ticks that carry and transmit diseases from one host to another.
| Tick Name | Will it bite my dog? | Will it bite my cat? | Will it bite me? | Is it in my area? | Lyme Disease Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacklegged Tick ( AKA Deertick) |
|
|
|
AB MB ON QC NL NB PEI NS |
|
| Western Black Legged Tick |
|
|
|
BC |
|
| Rocky Mountain Wood Tick |
|
|
|
BC AB SK |
|
| American Dog Tick |
|
|
|
SK MB ON QC NL NB PEI NS |
|
| Ixodes Angustus |
|
|
|
BC AB SK ON QC NL NB PEI NS |
|
| Ixodes Spinipalpis |
|
|
|
BC AB ON |
|
| Groundhog Tick |
|
|
|
MB ON QC NL NB PEI NS |
|
| Squirrel Tick |
|
|
|
ON QC NB PEI NS |
|
| Mouse Tick |
|
|
|
MB ON QC NB PEI NS |
|
| Brown Dog Tick |
|
|
|
BC MB ON QC NB NS |
|
| Lone Star Tick |
|
|
|
BC AB MB ON QC NL NS |
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| Rabbit Tick |
|
|
|
AB SK MB ON QC NL NB NS PEI |
|
| Ixodes Dentatus |
|
|
|
MB ON |
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| Raccoon Tick |
|
|
|
BC ON QC |
|
To see more detailed information, check out this link here.
How to Spot Ticks on My Pet and Myself
There are many areas where you should look for ticks. Let’s start with your pets. The photo from the CDC below gives a great idea of where to check. A tick’s goal is to stay on the host as long as possible, so they will attach in a place that is difficult for them to be dislodged. Look in crevices around the ears and eyes, between the toes, in the armpits, behind, under, and around the tail. I have even seen ticks in their mouths. Most commonly, they will be around the neck. Checking for ticks on your pet is easier said than done. Take a Husky for instance, how are you supposed to see through all that fur? Utilizing a blow dryer on your pet’s fur will allow you to see directly through to the pet’s skin. This is a great tool to find ticks that have already bitten. Another tool we have found helpful is using a lint roller or sticky tape on the top coat of our pets before they come inside, which will pick up ticks that have not yet bitten and prevent them from traveling into our homes. Don’t forget to check yourself too. Armpits, hips, legs, neck, hair, and crevices 👀.
Removing a Tick & Bite After Care
Don’t panic. Is it disgusting? Yes, but is it absolutely necessary to get the tick off of your pet as soon as possible? Also YES! Ticks that are carriers of Lyme disease take up to 7 days to fully feed, but only require 24 hours to transmit harmful pathogens to you and your pet. The sooner you get the tick off you or your pet, the less likely they are to pass along disease. You will need a tick remover tool. If you do not have a specific tool, you can use fine-tipped tweezers, dental floss or any type of thin thread. You will also need a wound antiseptic like colloidal silver or manuka honey, and you will need a bag or a container to put the tick in once it is removed.
Step 1: Part your pet’s fur and locate the tick.
Step 2 With Tick Tool: Follow the package instructions as each tool is different.
Step 2 With Tweezers: Grasp the tick as close to the pet’s skin as possible but avoid squeezing the tick, as it could force tick fluids into your pet. Pull the tick straight out in a steady motion. Twisting or jerking can cause the mouth to remain lodged in you or your pet. If the mouth breaks off, try to remove it. If not possible, leave it alone – it is not the end of the world.
Step 2 With Thread: Loop the thread around the tick’s mouth, as close to the skin as possible. Tighten the loop, and gently pull upwards.
Step 3: Place the tick in a clear sealable bag or in a container. The tick is very likely still alive as they are very difficult to kill, so ensure they are sealed in.
Step 4: Clean the affected area with an antiseptic solution like colloidal silver or manuka honey. If you have neither, you can use rubbing alcohol, but note that it will cause burning sensation or possibly damage skin for your pet. This will prevent infection.
Step 5: Monitor your pet, and look for signs of illness. Ticks are not only carriers of Lyme disease but also other pathogens including but not limited to, tick paralysis, anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Most of these illnesses include fevers, headaches, nausea, and fatigue. More serious symptoms are muscle weakness to complete paralysis and seizures. Lyme disease will come with symptoms of muscle and joint pain and fatigue. If you are concerned that your pet is ill, book an appointment with your veterinarian.
Identifying & Destroying the Tick
Going back to step 3 in your removal process is very important. The removed tick should be placed in a clear, sealed container or bag, as they are likely still alive, and you do not want them to scurry off to bite someone else. Once the tick is secure, take your time and get a good look at it. You can use this website here correlated to your area to identify the tick you just removed, or if you are really in a pickle and have no idea what type of tick you have pulled from you or your pet, you can submit an identification request to this site for free. Note that they ask if you would like to donate, but it is not necessary. Now that you have identified or are well on your way to identifying, here are some tips for destroying the tick. First, never crush the tick, as it could expose you to pathogens they are carrying if you get their juices on you. To kill a tick, you can submerge it in rubbing alcohol or freeze it for several days.
How to Prevent Ticks from Biting
Many chemical repellents keep ticks away, but they are not always safe to use, and certainly are not Tail Blazers Healthy. When we help customers find a product to deter pests from their pets, such as ticks, we find that natural bug sprays using certain essential oils work very well. Essential oils cedarwood, thyme, citronella, peppermint, lemon, orange, lavender, rose geranium and rosemary have all been noted to help repel ticks. Most of these products will not be safe for use on cats due to cats being extremely susceptible to essential oil toxicity. Please ensure you are checking the label for cat-safe products. Pet sprays that we carry that contain these ingredients are:
- Black Sheep Off Leash Spray: Cedar, cypress, eucalyptus, lemongrass and peppermint essential oils.
- Citrobug Insect Repellent: Lemon, geranium, camphor, eucalyptus, and pine needle essential oils.
- Kin + Kind Outdoor Shield Lemongrass: Cedarwood, lemongrass, and rosemary essential oils.
- Kin + Kind Outdoor Shield Lavender: Peppermint, rosemary, and cedarwood oil with lavender tea.
- Omega Alpha Herbacoat: Citronella, lavender, and neem essential oils.
- Totally Raw Outdoor Spray (previously Flea/Tick Defense Spray): Neem, lemongrass, and cinnamon essential oils.
We have also seen great success from internal supplements that contain quassia bark and garlic. Garlic has been used for years to repel pests. When garlic is consumed by your pets (in small amounts), it can change their scent and make them smell less desirable to ticks. Quassia is the real star here though. Quassia comes from a tree that grows in the tropics that has natural insecticidal repellent properties. Pests that come into contact with this tree are quickly disabled with paralysis and then death. Most insects avoid the tree completely. Luckily, the properties of this tree can be extracted into a powder and can be consumed by humans and pets safely and regularly, to repel nasty pests like ticks. We currently have two companies that created products that contain both garlic and quassia, which are suggested for shielding your pet from pests. These products are both safe to use in cats and dogs. These products are:
- Nature’s Sheild by Blends for Life: Quassia bark, neem leaf, and garlic.
- Outdoor Sheild by Earth MD: Quassia bark, neem leaf, and garlic.
I live in a high-risk area for ticks in Ontario, and in the past 2 years, we have found dozens of ticks on our dogs. We have always used the sprays on our dogs, but re-applying can be difficult to remember, and they hate being sprayed. We never used the internal products before this year and have noticed a huge difference in ticks on our dogs. This is certainly something that we will continue using for years to come alongside the sprays. I have used most of the sprays listed above on myself rather than the chemical insect sprays, and I believe they do a much better job. Not only do they keep pests from biting you, but because they hate the smell, they avoid you completely. These sprays are meant as a disguise.
From our family to yours, we hope you can stay safe from pests this season, especially for those of you in high-risk areas (I am talking to you Eastern Canada)! I hope that you find great use in the products discussed in this post and success in your pest-repelling endeavors!
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