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Take the steps that may help prevent the transmission of canine tick–borne diseases
There are a variety of disease-causing organisms that can be transmitted to dogs through ticks. Help new owners take steps to help reduce the risk of transmission of the disease–causing organisms ticks may carry.
Ticks are more than creepy little bloodsuckers. They are a vector — or carrier — of potentially life-threatening diseases. Here are a few tips you can offer owners to help keep their new dog protected from ticks."
1. Know your enemy
Ticks are prevalent coast to coast across the United States. Common ticks include:
- American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) — widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains and also occurs in limited areas on the pacific coast.1
- Black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) — otherwise known as the deer tick, this pest is widely distributed in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States.1 Its range has expanded across the entire Eastern half of the U.S.
- Lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) — primarily found in the southeastern and eastern United States, and throughout the midwest.1
- Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) — can be found throughout North America and Hawaii.1
The mouth parts of a tick act like a tiny harpoon, ready to anchor into the dog's skin for a blood meal. This is when any number of organisms can enter a dog's bloodstream and the real problems might begin. Nymph and adult ticks are both capable of transmitting organisms that can lead to life-threatening infections as they feed on new hosts.
2. Know the diseases
- Lyme disease
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, and is transmitted through the attachment of a deer tick. It usually takes 24-48 hours to infect the dog from the time the tick feeds.*2 An infected dog may experience lameness, swollen joints, fever, lethargy, anorexia and swollen, painful lymph nodes. In some cases, this disease can lead to kidney failure.3
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, which is transmitted among brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis). It can be contracted 4-48 hours after feeding.4 Clinical signs begin within 7–10 days and include: lethargy, anorexia, fever, enlarged lymph nodes and bleeding that occurs in eyes, nose, urinary bladder, skin and other locations.
- Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichia bacteria infect white blood cells 4–48 hours4 after being transmitted by brown dog ticks and lone star ticks. There are several types of ehrlichiosis, but symptoms can include: loss of appetite, weight loss, abnormal bleeding such as nose bleeds, pain and stiffness, vomiting, diarrhea and paralysis.
3. Encourage taking the proper steps
- Dog owners need to be aware of the ticks that are prevalent in their region and the risks that they present
- Recommend that pet owners take their dog to the veterinarian for checkups at least once a year.
- Remind owners to check their dog's fur for ticks every time he or she re-enters the house.
- Make sure dog owners treat with a flea and tick preventive as soon as possible. Recommend a preventive like K9 Advantix® II, which is for use on puppies 7 weeks of age or older.
4. Give your dog a monthly tick preventive all year round
There is never a "safe season" for ticks. Once they are introduced into the environment they usually DO NOT go away. Ticks are active in the winter months when the temperature is above 35°F3 and can often survive through winter and live for several years! 3,5,6
That's why consistent, monthly use of a tick preventive all year round is one of the best and most convenient ways to kill and help prevent ticks.
K9 Advantix® II repels most ticks before they attach and starts killing them within 10 minutes.† Remember — if a tick doesn't attach, it can't transmit organisms that may cause disease.
K9 Advantix® II:
- REPELS and kills ticks, fleas and mosquitoes
- Starts killing ticks within 10 minutes†
- Waterproof (recommend use of a non-detergent shampoo)
- For use on dogs and puppies 7 weeks of age and older
- Lasts for one month
†Three days post-treatment on previously untreated dogs
Ticks are an all-too-common problem for dogs, so help owners take the right steps and make sure both pups and bitches receive a monthly treatment of K9 Advantix ® II all year round.
K9 Advantix ® II is for use on dogs only. Visit PetParents.com for more information.
*Based on rodent studies. Transmission time may also vary with the physiologic state of individual ticks. Partially fed I. scapularis ticks, whose initial feeding was interrupted within 24 to 48 hours of attachment, can transmit B. burgdorferi spirochetes rapidly (within 24 hours) and at a high frequency (83% to 100%, respectively) after reattaching to a second host.
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REFERENCES:
1Geographic Distribution. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available here. Accessed August 9, 2012.
2Shih CM, Spielman A. Accelerated transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes by partially fed vector ticks. J Clin Microbiol. 1993;31(11):2878–2881.
3An Overview of Lyme Disease in Dogs. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Baker Institute for Animal Health. Available here. Accessed August 9, 2012.
4Nicholson WL, Allen KE, McQuiston JH, et al. The increasing recognition of rickettsial pathogens in dogs and people. Trends Parasitol. 2010;26(4):205–212.
5Dantas-Torres F. Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007;7(11):724–732.
6Demma LJ, Traeger MS, Nicholson WL, et al. Rocky Mountain spotted fever from an unexpected tick vector in Arisona. N Engl J Med. 2005:353(6):587–594.
©2012 Bayer HealthCare LLC, Animal Health Division, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66201
Bayer, the Bayer Cross and K9 Advantix are registered trademarks of Bayer.
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