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What You Can Do To Keep Ticks Off Your Pets This Summer
June 26, 2019
With the prevalence of ticks in Oklahoma, most residents are already familiar with the health risks that come with tick bites. Ticks are known carriers of dangerous diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and anaplasmosis. Additionally, some people have an allergic reaction to tick bites.
While Oklahoma’s mild winters mean ticks never totally disappear, they do become more common as summer arrives. As the weather warms, tick nymphs hatch from their eggs and become active.
However, did you know that your pets are also susceptible to diseases carried by ticks?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, dogs are especially vulnerable to tickborne disease, and there is no vaccine for most of the diseases that ticks carry. That’s why it’s particularly important to take steps to keep ticks off your pets this summer.
Here are some steps you can take to help keep your pets safe from tick bites:
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Ask your veterinarian about tick prevention products for your pet, such as flea and tick collars. Your veterinarian will also be able to tell you which diseases are most likely to be carried by ticks locally.
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Check your pets for ticks every day. This is particularly important if your dog has been out in a wooded area. When checking your pet for ticks, pay attention to the areas around the eyes, under the collar, and around the ears. Check inside the ears, too. Other areas where ticks like to hide on animals include between their toes, under their front legs, and between the back legs.
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Remove any ticks you find on your dog or cat right away.
You should also make your yard less attractive to ticks, and the creatures that carry them, such as rodents.
Here are some things you can do:
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Trim long grass and thick branches of foliage. Ticks prefer shady, damp areas to sunny dry ones, so cut overhanging branches to reduce the amount of shade in your yard.
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Seal any cracks or small openings in the exterior of your house that could allow rodents that are carrying ticks to enter your home. You’ll most likely find these openings around doors and windows, along the foundation, and in seams in your siding.
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If you’re a gardener, plant the kind of plants that are not attractive to deer that could be carrying ticks. Many garden centers specifically label plants that deer don’t like, and deer will be less likely to hang around your yard if they can’t find tasty plants to eat there.
Even after taking all these steps, however, you may find that ticks are tenacious and difficult to completely get rid of. In that case, it makes sense to call in professional help to protect your family and pets from the risk of tick-borne illness.
Montgomery Exterminating provides flea and tick treatments that target these pesky insects. The treatment starts with an inspection of your property to find infestations and to look for signs of host animals, such as rodents, that could be making the problem worse.
To eliminate ticks, Montgomery Exterminating’s technicians will treat areas where ticks generally lurk, such as in tall grass, shrubs, and along fence lines and other shady areas.
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