If you are a pet owner, you have probably been waging a war against ticks for quite some time now. This is particularly true if your pet lives outdoors or if it spends time outside on a regular basis. Unfortunately, these pests are the carriers of a number of different diseases and, even if they are disease-free, they can cause a great deal of irritation to your pet. Therefore, it is important for you to know more about ticks so you can take the proper steps to prevent them from causing harm to your pet.
The Tick Life Cycle
The first step in knowing how to prevent and get rid of ticks is to gain a better understanding of their life cycle. All ticks go through 4 stages of development. These include:
• Egg
• Larva
• Nymph
• Adult
Amazingly, this entire life cycle can be completed in as little as 2 months. In addition, the tick is capable of feeding on blood during all stages of the life cycle. If the tick is in the larva stage, it will feed and then fall off the host in order to molt to a nymph. If it is in the nymph stage, it will fall off and molt into an adult. If the adult tick is a female, it will then lay eggs and continue the cycle.
Attaching to a Host
When the tick is ready to feed, it seeks out a host with the help of its heat sensors. When it senses a warm object pass by, it attaches to the host by falling onto the host or by clinging to its fur or clothing. Once the tick has landed on a host, it travels to an area where there is little hair or where it can others feed more easily. For this reason, ticks are most commonly found on the skin around the lips and ears of pets.
To begin the feeding process, the tick inserts its mouthparts into the skin. These mouthparts become locked into place after they are inserted. Once the tick has finished its meal, it removes the mouthparts, falls off of the host and seeks shelter. If the tick is a female, she will then lay her eggs and die.
Removing Ticks
Since ticks insert their mouthparts into their host and lock the mouthparts into place, removal of ticks can be quite tricky. The best method for removal is to grab the tick with tweezers as close to its head as possible. Apply steady, yet gentle pressure to the tick's body as you pull it out. Don't be alarmed if pieces of skin come off along with the tick, as this is quite normal. If the tick's head remains in the skin, use the tweezers to try to remove as much of the head as possible. If some of the head remains, your pet's natural immune system will go to work to remove the head as well.
Preventing Tick Infestations
Although there is no 100% guaranteed way to keep your pet tick-free, you can reduce the chances of a tick infestation by avoiding wooded areas, areas with low brush and areas with tall grass, as ticks are most commonly found in all of these settings. You can also use commercial products that help keep ticks at bay. Most importantly, monitor your pet closely so you can remove ticks as soon as possible and prevent them from becoming attached to your pet.
