Mary Allen
Tick season starts again every spring. We have compiled the most important information for you here.
Which tick species are found in Central Europe?
Dog and cat owners can become acquainted with the following ticks:
- Wood tick (Ixodes ricinus)
- Alluvial forest tick (Dermacentor reticularis)
- Brown dog tick (Ripicephalus sanguineus)
In general, the adult ticks or their developmental stages (larvae, nymphs) sit on grasses and are stripped off by animals or humans as they pass by. After some wandering around on the skin’s surface, they then find a suitable place for the sting and settle there. If they are saturated, they usually let themselves fall again.
Why are tick bites dangerous?
A single tick bite would generally not be dangerous unless the wound became infected. However, many ticks transmit the pathogens of various diseases, e.g. B.
- Borrelia
- Babesia
- Ehrlichia
- anaplasma
- TBE viruses
These infectious diseases can lead to serious illnesses that often require lengthy treatment.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) also occurs in humans and is caused by viruses in the saliva of infected ticks. In dogs, cases of TBE are diagnosed extremely rarely.
Climate change means that ticks, for which it was previously too cold here, are now also becoming native to us. Incidentally, the same applies to e.g. B. Mosquitoes and of course also to the diseases they spread.
Diseases and parasites previously described as “travel sickness” or “Mediterranean diseases” are thus spreading further north.
How to protect your pet from ticks
Animals that go outdoors regularly should be protected with antiparasitic agents (spot-on, sprays, collars, tablets). These have a repellent (repellent) and/or killing effect and also help against fleas, lice, and other external parasites. Most preparations work over a period of several weeks, sometimes even over several months.
Attention: For cats, active substances intended for dogs, such as e.g. B. permethrin, become life-threatening. Therefore, only use preparations that have been explicitly approved by your veterinarian. Also, tea tree oil must never be used on cats: there is a risk of poisoning!
Check your pet regularly for ticks and parasites. Ticks especially appreciate the little hairy, thin skin on the head, ears, armpits, between the toes, and on the inner thighs. Animals with long, dark fur should be checked particularly carefully. Tick larvae and nymphs in particular are very small and difficult to detect.
If you find ticks, remove them with a tick hook or tick tweezers. Loosen the nuisance by gently turning and evenly pulling. Jerky pulling, on the other hand, often causes the head to be ripped off. Dispose of the tick afterward, e.g. B. attach to adhesive film and do in the household waste.
For those interested, we recommend the detailed, easy-to-read information from ESCCAP – a European association of veterinary parasitologists – on the subject of ticks in pets.
Ticks in dogs and cats: conclusion
Pets that are rarely outside can also be infested with ticks in the summer months and even in winter. Preventive treatment reduces the risk of a tick bite and subsequent unpleasant diseases.