Although the sight of an engorged tick is both frightening and disgusting, veterinarians say you don’t need to panic if you find a tick on your dog or cat. According to Dr. Somer Pieper of the Mitchel Valley Animal Hospital in Scottsbluff, Nebraska: “…you can remove ticks by putting on a pair of gloves and using tweezers to grasp onto the body of the tick. Then apply gentle traction until the tick comes loose”

Pieper also suggests putting the tick in a plastic baggie in case your pet develops symptoms of a tick-borne illness. This way your vet can perform tests on the tick and provide appropriate treatment measures to counteract the specific disease affecting your dog or cat.

Endemic to all 50 states, ticks are responsible for transmitting Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, and Ehrlichiosis and a host of other diseases to pets and humans. Common symptoms of most tick-borne diseases include fever, aching joint and muscles, severe headache and rash.

Are Fleas Making You Pull Your Hair Out?

Nothing arouses sympathy from pet owners than to watch their pet scratch, dig and claw at their fleas. Many pet owners go through the same scenario each summer–giving their pets flea baths and dips, putting flea collars on their pets, giving them oral flea medication prescribed by their veterinarian–only to feel like they are fighting a losing battle against these tiny but ferocious blood suckers. Paw Rescue suggests these tips to fight fleas:

  • Flea combs work well to remove fleas.Dab the comb’s tines with a little bit of petroleum jelly to make fleas stick for easy removal.
  • Although fleas tend to swarm around the neck area, make sure to check your pet’s tail, armpits and cheeks.
  • Supplement your pet’s diet with Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid supplements to help repel fleas and maintain the animal’s immune system.

No Fleas or Ticks Allowed!

In addition to using a flea comb and washing pet bedding every few days, have your yard sprayed by Assured Environments. to combat fleas and ticks with an insecticide solution that is safe to humans and animals. In fact, spraying for fleas and ticks is like putting up an “Enter At Your Own Risk” sign that is invisible to everyone but those nasty, biting bugs. 

Assured Environments is the leading pest control company in NYC and the tri-state area. Contact us with all your pest related questions or concerns.