10/17/2024
LONG POST ALERT - Let's talk ticks...yuck! Ticks are most prevalent in the spring and in the fall. The fall bloom typically lasts through November, but with higher than normal temperatures in the month of December like we've had the last few years, they could stick around for much longer. Contrary to popular belief, ticks don't die or hibernate during the cold winter months - they basically go into a low energy state when it's cold. This is why it's so important to keep your pet on flea & tick prevention year round, have an annual 4DX blood screening, and check your pet for ticks whenever they come in from outside. The tick-borne diseases your dog can be exposed to can also be transmitted to humans if bitten by an infected tick, making it even more important to check your dog thoroughly!
The state of Michigan, and Manistee County in particular, is a hotbed of tick-borne disease. This year it seems that Anaplasmosis is the more commonly found disease. Anaplasmosis is a bacterial tick-borne disease spread by black-legged ticks. Once bitten, a tick must stay attached for 24-48 hours to transmit the bacteria. After that, it takes 1-2 weeks for clinical signs to show. Some dogs won't show clinical signs, but many show the most common symptoms:
- fever
- decreased appetite
- lethargy
- dehydration
- lameness
Not all dogs exposed to Anaplasmosis will show all symptoms and some can also experience vomiting, diarrhea, and in rare circumstances, bleeding from the nose, neck pain, and seizures.
So far for 2024, Manistee County is reporting 1 in 5 dogs tested positive for Anaplasmosis - roughly 18.7% of dogs tested. Manistee Vet has tested 713 dogs this year and 150 have tested positive for Anaplasmosis - 1 in 4.75 dogs or 21%! In all of 2023, we tested 993 dogs and had 148 positive for Anaplasmosis - that's 1 in 7 dogs or 14.9%.
We've added a new product to help with tick removal. The TickCheck package includes three sizes of tick pullers as well as an identification card so you can see what type of tick you're dealing with. Each pack is $4.99 +tax and is available to anyone.
