Protect Your Pets from Ticks and Lyme Disease

March 30, 2025

By Dan Barner

Warmer weather certainly has us thinking about spending more time outdoors with our pets. However, it’s important to remember that as we become more active outside, so do ticks. When temperatures rise above freezing, tick activity significantly increases.

Ticks hang out in the grass and brush, and they will attempt to hitch a ride on passing animals or humans. Ticks can be on your clothes for hours before they decide to dig in to your skin. Once attached, they inject an anesthetic to prevent you from feeling their bite. Their saliva also contains an anti-clotting agent to keep the blood flowing and anchor the tick in place, making it harder to remove. If left in place, ticks can put the health of humans and pets at risk due to the diseases they carry, such as Lyme.

For our pets, ticks can hide in their fur and not only decide to attach to our dogs and cats but also to hitch a ride inside your home, where they can then make their way to human residents. This is why it’s very important to check your pet for ticks after every outing. If you discover one on your pet (or yourself), removing it as quickly as possible will minimize the chance of disease, as experts believe it takes several hours for a tick to transmit an infection.

Lyme disease in pets can cause swollen joints, joint pain, lameness, lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes and more. In addition to Lyme, ticks also carry other illnesses that can cause serious symptoms such as ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

Given the prevalence of ticks in our region, having your pets on flea and tick preventives is extremely important if they go outdoors. There is a wide variety of collars, topical treatments and oral preventives available. If you’re not sure which is best for your pet, ask your veterinarian for recommendations.

If you or your pet have a tick attached, it’s important to remove it properly. Shield your fingers with a rubber glove or a paper towel. With fine-tipped tweezers, get as close to the skin surface as possible, gently secure the tick and pull straight upward with steady pressure. Don’t squeeze tightly, crush or puncture the tick’s body, as this can squeeze infectious organisms into the bloodstream. Also, avoid petroleum jelly, hot matches or alcohol, as these can also irritate the tick, which could increase the chances of infection transmittal. Once you’ve removed the tick and disinfected the bite site, wash your hands with soap and water — and give your pet a treat for being a good patient.

The Animal Protective Foundation wishes you and your pets a warm and sunny spring. Remember to remain vigilant for ticks, and please celebrate the season safely.