Southport Animal Hospital

06/23/2025

Tick Populations Are Booming Across the U.S. And Displaying ‘Alarming’ New Behavior
Sophie Kaemmerlé
Mon, June 23, 2025 at 4:30 AM CDT4 min read

Summer is the thick of tick season. If you spend a lot of time outdoors during the warmer months, whether it’s in the backwoods or the backyard, you’ve probably taken your precautions. It turns out those precautions may be more important than ever, with tick populations not just exploding, but migrating. We’ll tell you what you need to know to protect yourself and your loved ones. Also in today’s news digest: hurricane season’s false start, the year’s first heat wave, and IKEA’s surprise closings.

Scientists Warn of Exploding—And Fast-Traveling—Tick Populations
If you’ve noticed an uptick in, well, ticks, you’re not alone. More and more individuals across the country, even as far north as beyond the Canadian border, have reported sightings. According to the New York Times, at least four types of ticks haven’t just been multiplying at alarming rates, but they’re also going beyond the limits of their typical preferred habitats. Deer ticks are expanding north; the longhorned tick is expanding westward from the East Coast; Gulf Coast ticks are expanding into more northern territory; and the lone star tick is similarly making the large leap from the South to the north, and have been found as far north as Canada.

That’s not the entire story. Ticks aren’t just moving into new areas. They’re also now staying active for a much longer period. In some places, if they stopped searching for someone or something to bite in the fall, they’re now only slowing down in the winter.

Scientists say that climate change is the primary driver of these trends. As the Earth warms, many places that were previously less hospitable to ticks are warming to the degree that they are now viable habitats. Their typical habitats are also getting warmer, so they can stay active for longer.

So what can you do about ticks? The best course of action is prevention. Tick bites can cause severe illness when the tick isn’t removed and the bite isn’t treated. Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome (an allergy to red meat) can all be caused by ticks—and cases of these illnesses have, alarmingly, been rising in recent years. Wearing long pants and long sleeves, and tucking your pants into your socks or boots and your shirt into your pants can significantly reduce your chances of a tick bite. Using tick repellents containing DEET can also be effective. And lastly, remember that ticks can be present nearly anywhere, and are just as likely to be found in parks and in your backyard as they are in wooded areas.

06/10/2025

NOTICE: Our phone company is having a global issue, so our phones are not working. Please message us here on Facebook until this is fixed.

03/18/2025

Check this out! We are looking for pets. Call Kim for more information. 816-623-3960. Feel free to share this post.

11/23/2023

Today and every day, we're thankful for the trust you place in us to keep your furry family members happy and healthy. Wishing you and your pets a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Found on Google from pinterest.com

03/07/2023

Have you heard of Leptospirosis in dogs? Lepto is a bacterial infection that spreads through their bloodstream, infiltrating their bodies by burrowing into their skin. Our sweet pups can get leptospirosis from puddles or bodies of water that carry urine from infected wildlife. This disease can be serious, even fatal.

Luckily, we have a vaccine to help protect canines. The leptospirosis vaccine protects against infections from the Leptospira bacteria. This vaccine contains inactivated pieces of the bacteria from four strains. Since it contains bacteria that are deceased, it will not cause lepto, but rather prompt a dog's immune system to produce antibodies that will help combat the bacteria should they come into contact with it.

We strongly recommend this vaccine for all of our canine patients, but particularly for our hunting and sporting patients, those who live near wooded areas, dogs that live on or near farms, and also dogs who have spent time in a kennel. Call us at (816) 525-7387 to schedule your vaccine appointment today!

03/07/2023

There has been talk of more dogs becoming infected with Leptospirosis locally. Here is a fact sheet to stay informed and try to keep your dog as protected as possible:
• What is it: a bacterial infection with multiple strains: Leptospira Canicola, L. Grippotyphosa, L. Icterohaemorrhagiae, L. Pomona are common strains
• What carries Lepto: rodents-mice, rats, raccoons, opossums, etc
• How does the dog become infected: ingestion-usually stagnant water or swimming. Wetter weather can spread it more easily and allow it to collect in puddles.
• What signs would my dog show: can be from mild to severe-fever, decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, drinking more/urinating more, stiffness/soreness. There mucous membranes can change to a yellow tinge (jaundice) in some circumstances
• Can it be treated: Yes, it can be treated with antibiotics, but can be life threatening in many dogs since they may not show signs until extreme damage to their organs occur, leading to organ failure.
• Can it spread to other dogs/people in house: Yes! Unfortunately, it can spread to other people in the house esp the people cleaning up the dog’s accidents that they often have due to damage occurring in kidneys. Other dogs in house can get it from the urine as well or from the original source of contamination.
• How can I keep my dog safe: best course of action is protection, which comes from the Leptospirosis vaccine. It is can be included in the Distemper/Parvo vaccine, but some give it separately or not at all for some dogs that have a severe allergic reaction.
-Some dogs seem to be more sensitive to this vaccine and/or may have an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Giving a medication like Benadryl or steroid prior to the vaccine may be elected to continue the vaccine, or it may be decided to not give it again if it is a severe allergy. Pain and lethargy are not severe reactions.
-This vaccine is needed yearly to stay protected
-Also best to not allow them to drink stagnant water/puddles.

08/02/2022