ROANOKE, Va. – As temperatures rise, so does the threat of ticks—and it’s not just people at risk. Dogs that spend time outdoors are especially vulnerable to the diseases these pests carry. Whether you’re on a hike or just out in the backyard, ticks could be closer than you think—and your dog might be the one picking them up.
Ethan Claridge, director of adoptions at Angels of Assisi, said, “Ticks can be as small as a pinhead so a lot of times people don’t even notice that their animals have ticks on them but we’re talking hundreds of thousands of ticks this time of year.”
Ticks carry diseases that could impact your pet’s health.
“A lot of times you don’t even know the diseases until they progress so things like Lyme disease can cause kidney failure except you’re not gonna know until you start to notice those symptoms of kidney failure that your dog could’ve even had Lyme disease or things like anaplasmosis that can cause blood disorder,” Claridge explained.
Pet experts say the best defense is to stay one step ahead.
“We get a lot of dogs that come in with ticks. About 60% of dogs in the state of Virginia that aren’t on preventatives get Lyme disease, so super high percentage—over half,” he noted.
They recommend prescription flea and tick prevention rather than over-the-counter options.
“You can get it on an online store or you can get it at your regular vet. And it’s definitely the most foolproof way so that even if the tick does bite them and they carried it in, it’ll die off so that it is not just walking around your house,” Claridge advised.
Even with prevention, regular tick checks are crucial. Focus on the spots ticks love to hide: behind the ears, between the paws, and under the legs.
“You should check their whole body and you wanna make sure that when you’re doing it you’re parting all the fur until you can see the skin. And just gradually go down each section of their fur,” Claridge added.
Bug Man Exterminating in Roanoke tells us tick season doesn’t let up until the first hard frost—so keep your guard up with prevention and regular checks.