02/10/2023
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We just wanted to share this information again as we are headed into tick season! These are all good reminders.
Historically, approximately 60% of ticks that are submitted to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) have been black-legged ticks, which can carry the agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. Over the last decade, less than 1% of black-legged ticks tested annually in BC are positive for Borrelia sp. The remainder of BC tick submissions are have been almost all Rocky Mountain wood ticks or American dog ticks, that only very rarely carry other vector-borne pathogens in BC (e.g. Anaplasma sp., Francisella tularensis ).
Use this link to submit your pictures: https://www.etick.ca/
They will get back to you within hours identifying the tick, and give helpful information!
At Pawsitive, we have a couple options for tick prevention and treatment. For a natural option, we carry a spray called Tikked Off! that acts as a repellent. Or, pharmaceutical option (Bravecto), which is a chewable tablet. We also carry Tick Keys which is a fabulous tool to remove ticks. If you have more questions about these products, and which one would be right for your dog, please contact us at the office.
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> The most common ticks found in BC are black-legged ticks (Ixodes pacificus, Ixodes angustus) and Dermacentor sp ticks (Rocky Mountain wood ticks, American dog ticks, and winter ticks).
> Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in BC and North America. Unlike in eastern Canada, the rate of Lyme disease has remained low in BC.
> In BC, less than 1 percent of ticks tested carry the bacteria B. burgdorferi that cause Lyme disease. Although the number of ticks submitted for testing has increased in recent years, the prevalence of B. burgdorferi in ticks has remained consistently low over the last decade.
> An infected tick needs to be attached to a human or animal for over 18 hours in order to transmit the bacteria.
> Two species of ticks in BC can carry the agent of Lyme disease: Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes angustus, also known as western black-legged ticks.
> The infection is preventable by avoiding tick bites and removing attached ticks early.
> Lyme disease in dogs may not cause any illness or the disease may cause symptoms such fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, lameness that waxes and wanes, or painful or swollen joints.
> In BC, Dermacentor ticks very rarely carry other animal diseases such as anaplasmosis or tularemia.
> Rarely, if a tick is attached for 5 days or more, a toxin in the saliva of some Dermacentor ticks may cause paralysis in humans and animals. This condition is prevented by quickly removing the tick.
