Tick Season Has Arrived, Check People and Pets

Among the budding flowers and greening grass, another sign of spring has arrived. Tick season. The evidence? Two ticks, one on each of my dogs, I found this week. 

One dog had a tick on her snout, the other dog had a tick on her head that I found while petting her. Both ticks were about the size of a pinhead, and attached, but not yet engorged. I was able to remove them, and promptly gave both dogs a dose of K9 Advantix, which my husband I had stopped using for a few months this winter. I also checked the rest of the dogs' bodies for more ticks, finding none.

With evidence that tick season is here, it's a good reminder to check yourself, your children and your pets after being outdoors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has instructions on how to remove a tick if you find one. It also had tips on how to avoid ticks in your yard, and on people and pets. Tickborne illness, including Lyme Disease, can occur after a tick bite, so the CDC also provides information on symptoms of illness. 

 If you're heading outside for a walk in the woods, to do some gardening, or just to sit outside and enjoy the spring weather, it's a good idea to keep an eye out for ticks.