Effects of Ticks on Dogs

Ticks are dog parasites which are known to be amongst the most dangerous to dogs when it comes to the kind of the kind of serious health complications they bring to their hosts. Ticks are not only found on animals such as dogs and cats but also on human beings. As previously stated ticks are parasites known to be even more dangerous than fleas due to the fact that they are known to spread and pass various from one host to another. Ticks are also known to cause anemia and paralysis.

Being a dog owner one has to make it their top most priority to ensure that they research and find out all the procedures and best ways through which they can protect their pet dogs against ticks and in the case where your dog is already infested, have all the information on how best to get rid of the ticks. It is through this knowledge that you can be able to completely protect your dog against the tick menace.

As previously stated ticks are parasites which depend on their host’s blood for survival. Ticks breed easily under certain conditions. This would include warmth and motion and are ever looking for hosts such as dogs as well as mammals to attach themselves to. Before they get a host, ticks are highly likely to be found in areas which have tall grass or bushy plants around wooded areas.

Immediately a suitable host comes by a tick will then climb on and firmly attach itself on to the skin using its mouthparts. They will then begin to suck on the blood of its host. It will continue sucking while firmly attached to its host and will only let go or detach itself when it is done with feeding. This process can take up to several hours but can differ from one particular type of tick to another.

When ticks attach themselves to a host, they usually do this on certain areas of their host. The most common areas include within crevices or areas with minimal or no hair at all. This is usually around the ears, the point where the legs are joined to the rest of the body, in between the toes as well as in between skin folds.

A complete cycle of a tick involves four different stages. This would include egg, larvae, nymph with the final stage being adult. Apart from the egg stage all the other stages are known to feed on a host’s blood and will continue doing so till they get to adulthood. As previously stated there are different types of ticks which all vary in their life spans. This can be anywhere between a couple of months to years. Female adults are known to lay hundreds and even thousands of eggs within a single lay. It is therefore quite crucial to ensure that you take immediate action in destroying of ticks whenever they infest your dog otherwise this situation will run out of control.