Protect your pets from ticks #NoBiteIsRight
Make sure the whole family can enjoy the outdoors this summer, protect your pets from ticks.
Ever since I was a child I’ve loved the outdoors so I was barely inside the house if it wasn’t raining. Usually when I went out my dog Rusty came along with me to enjoy the fresh air. Of course, back when I was a child video game consoles and handheld systems weren’t all consumers. We also didn’t have tablets, smart phones or laptops to keep us anchored to our seats throughout the day. We’d get home from school, hurry through our homework and after letting our parents know our plans, would disappear outside with our friends until curfew. We’d wander around our neighbourhoods, play in the woods and just be content being outdoors. We weren’t worried about being inside all the time like kids today, we spent every available minute outside; more often than not our parents had to force us to come in when it started getting dark.
This post is sponsored by No Bite is Right™ and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer NetworkTM. I am being compensated to help create awareness about Summer Safety and Protecting Pets against fleas and ticks but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. The blogger is responsible for the contents and not the sponsors mentioned above.
Our sweet dog Luna
As much as I used to love the outdoors and still do, there’s one big part of spending time outdoors that I’m not a fan of. I can deal with most of the wildlife creatures I’ve encountered over the years and normally bugs don’t even bother me, it is the outdoors after all, but when it comes to ticks you can count me out! Over the years I’ve learned to take certain precautions against ticks for myself and my family however since our family pets do spend a fair bit of time outdoors with us it almost goes without saying that we’ve had to check them for ticks. We learned over the years that prevention was our best option so that our pets and our whole family could be safe from ticks.
Our dog Little Zeus aka LZ
Eliminating ticks has always been important to my family. As surprising as it may be a lot of people don’t always think about the lasting effects that a tick bite can cause. The truth is that these icky little critters can cause a multitude of different disease. These days, according to Canadian researchers, tick populations have grown over 10 times over the past two decades within Canada alone. Researchers have also estimated that if you were to draw a line marking tick territory across Canada, that the line actually moves 45 km further north each year. This is why the No Bite is Right™ Campaign is making its way across Canada to help bring awareness to the problem. The campaign itself is focusing on the importance of flea and tick prevention for your pets and especially the mass number of ticks that are moving north as the climate begins to change from cold to warm.
Our funny cat Oliver
With this tick army on the rise, it’s never been more important to talk to your vet about flea and tick prevention and to ask what products will be most effective in preventing future bites. When you go in for your appointment your vet will be more than happy to share this information with you and will also explain the different between the different types of medication that is available for your pet. Systemic and Non-systemic are the two medications that you’ll learn about during your visit. Systemic medications are to be taken orally (chewable form) and require the tick/flea to actually bite your pet in order to activate and Non-systemic (applied to the skin) do not require the insect to bite in order to start working. Non-systemic medications are otherwise known as contact killers.
Say hello to Crusoe the celebrity Daschund encouraging pet owners to make sure their pets are protected from ticks.
Photo Credit: No Bite is Right Campaign Crusoe the Celebrity Daschund
It’s important to be careful which of these options you decide to go with because both work very differently from each other. With Systemic medications the medicine has to pass through the bloodstream, therefore the tick/flea has to actually feed on your pets blood long enough to ingest enough of the medicine to actually kill it. This can open your pet up to certain diseases. If you were to go with the Non-systemic medications or contact kill, the pest only has to come in contact with the medication and it’ll die, eliminating the possibility of disease.
Photo Credit: No Bite is Right Campaign Crusoe the Celebrity Daschund
After your vet has explained the different types of medications and their pros/cons to you they might also wish to talk to you about the facts surrounding these pesky pests. Many of the facts might be things that you’ve never heard or even facts that you’re already familiar with but re-familiarizing yourself with these important facts never hurts. Especially not when the health of your family pet is on the line. What most people don’t know about fleas and ticks is that there are different kinds and that the effects your pet may experience depends entirely on the kind that bites them. Different pests can spread different disease to your pet and cause serious illnesses. Some valuable facts to familiarize yourself with include:
- Lyme disease is one of the most well-known diseases transmitted by ticks.
- According to a recent survey of Canadian pet owners, their #1 concern is avoiding the bite.
- The same survey found that 7 in 10 want protection that reduces the chance of bites.
- 79% worry about disease transmission through the bite of ticks/ticks.
• Enter to win an appearance by Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund at your vet’s clinic!
Photo Credit: No Bite is Right Campaign Crusoe the Celebrity Daschund
- can live up to 100 days and can lay up to 50 eggs a day. Yikes!
- A single flea can bite up to 400 times in a single day.
- Dogs can be allergic to flea saliva and can result in bald spots from scratching and chewing.
- Fleas don’t just cause itching, discomfort and sores but can also be a source of tapeworms or cause anemia.
- Ticks love mild weather, so we typically see an increase in numbers during the spring and fall.
- Ticks cause disease like Lyme, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Bartonelliosis and more!
- As of 2016 ticks have been found in parts of Canada that include British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
Follow Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund on the campaign!
• Facebook: facebook.com/crusoedachshund/
• Twitter: @Celeb_Dachshund
• Instagram: crusoe_dachshund
• Website: www.celebritydachshund.com/events/no-bite-is-right-2016-tour/
Ticks
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bayer, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine.
Marlene V. says
Thanks for the information. I had no idea that Systemic medications existed. I will be talking to my vet next time about this. Normally where we live and camp there are not fleas and ticks but this year they are warning that we will have them. I need to learn more … thanks.
Margot C says
Good information! The Flea treatment that we use (I shouldn’t say which one right?) has Tick Control too, 3 cats and a dog!
Richard Hicks says
This is good info for pet owners. Fortunately our 2 kitties are strictly indoors.
Diana Corlett says
A wealth of important info here. I have been fortunate to have never had fleas on my pets, but on the subject of ticks I am less certain. Since I live in a rural area it is definitely a concern.
Karen Adams says
Thanks for this info. I did not have any idea about this on fleas and ticks!
April Lynn Roods says
I had no idea that the flea and tick medication I use on my pets actually exposes them to more diseases. Thank you for this very informative article.
ANN*H says
Lots of information I did not know about ticks and fleas. You cat looks like our Moochy. Pets can get real sick from fleas. Thanks for the information
Dotty J Boucher says
I have to make sure that my cats are taken care of but also the dogs I sit for, Its so important for every one ,,Please protect
your furry friends.
Sophia,M.,McConnery says
My cat Romeo has some odd tastes in foods.Think that is why he has never gotten these or any other kind of bugs.
Debbie White Beattie says
It may cost me a small fortune every year but it’s worth it to keep my boy protected
lei says
i remember seeing ticks on pets. they are gross
ANN*H says
It is just as important for pets to have tick protection as well as for people. They both can get sick from ticks. I like to use products that wont be harmful in any way to my pets . Thanks for the information on this.
Cheryl Chervitz says
I have three dogs that I keep treatment on so these nasty bugs stay away! I can’t stand picking off ticks.
Gord says
We have two cats and one goes outside a couple of times a day. We always check when he comes back in for anything out of the ordinary like ticks. Its really easy to do as he loves being rubbed all over and even goes to sleep while you check him.
laurie allen says
Great information. Sad to think that many still don’t treat and protect their pets. I think they get worse every year. Please everyone do what you can to protect your fur-kids. LOVE the cute pics too!!
The Char says
Thanks, I can`t stand those pest!
Nena Sinclair says
Protecting your pets against ticks is so important! Most people don’t realize that pets can get Lyme Disease,just like people can, from ticks. My niece’s dog passed away a few years ago, from Lyme.
Carole Dube says
Thank you for the great information,I really like the idea Non-systemic medications or contact kill, I didn’t know about this particular product.
ivy pluchinsky says
thanks for the post, i learned some things
Sandra Watts says
Thanks for sharing. It is that time of year to be concerned about them.
Erika Chilton says
My cat is an indoor/ outdoor cat so I really appreciate the information on how to protect her from ticks.
Christina G. says
Such cute pets you have. Thanks for sharing!
Dana Rodriguez says
This is a great article.I hate ticks.We live in a wooded area and they are BAD here.
leisl says
This was interesting. I am terrified of ticks.
angela burns says
Best thing I have used on my pups is washing them with Dawn Dish Soap…Believe me best remedy for both!!!
Karen Propes says
Ticks seem to be starting off bad this year. Before we put our tick protection for our dog, it was like every time he went out he would have a tick on him. You have to be very careful looking for ticks on you and your animals. The deer ticks are so small, they can look like a small bump,if even that big.
Liberty says
Thank you for sharing this valuable info- and that Doxie is so cute!
Laura says
Ticks are such a pain. On another note, I love their celebrity Dachshund. That is too precious!
Dotty J Boucher says
What a great campaign and I am loving what this is standing for, no dog or cat should have to worry about not being
protected. I will follow along..
@tisonlyme143
Lisa Mesmer says
We make sure to check out dogs over each time we come in, but also make sure to use front line on them. My Aunt’s little dog did get bit by a Deer Tick in Northern MN and has been treated accordingly. Thank you for sharing such helpful info! ♥
Melissa S says
We are very careful about ticks, on our animals and ourselves. I use drops that are for fleas and ticks but still check my 2 pound dog whenever we get inside.
Cindy Peterson says
I was surprised to learn the tick population is 10 times larger over the last 20 years. So important to protect our pets and ourselves.
Robin Abrams says
We check our dogs every time they come in from out side for ticks. We had a bad flea problem last year hoping this year wont be as bad
laurie damrose says
We check our dog every time we take her out.
lei says
a flea can bite 400 times a day? that is insane. good that i keep my cats indoors.
crystal w. says
I get so nervous this time a year, since there are so many ticks around. I know they pose a risk to us humans also, it is nasty. I make sure to protect my dogs during this time an dyear and make sure not to miss anything.
Linda Manns says
I did not know some of this about fleas and ticks. We have a wooded area that backs up to our back yard so we really have to watch our pets carefully. Thank you for all this useful information