Saskatoon veterinarian offers tips for tick season
Warmer weather will make ticks more active
Thanks to the warmer weather, pet owners are getting a chance to spend more time outdoors with their four-legged friends.
The ticks are out but they're not as active as they might have been.- Dr. Brian Gibbs
But they're not the only ones enjoying the heat — it's also a time when ticks start prowling for a meal.
"They can become active if the sun is shining at -4 degrees," Dr. Brian Gibbs told CBC's Saskatoon Morning. He works at Central Animal Hospital in Saskatoon.
Cooler weather
Gibbs said, so far this year, he's seen fewer ticks than he was expecting after Saskatoon's mild winter.
"I think these last couple weeks, the weather's quite a bit colder, so the ticks are out but they're not as active as they might have been."
He said as soon as temperatures rise, so do chances of finding a tick settling into your furry friend.
Gibbs explained that the little pests are more prone to be found in long grass and low bushes.
"Anywhere where there's a lot of bush," he said. "Along the river banks, in low ravines, any creeks — places like that."
Spread illness
Gibbs said ticks are a concern because they can transmit Lyme disease and other illnesses.
"I know of three cases I've looked after that were positive for Lyme [disease]," he said. "Dogs that have never left Saskatoon."
He advised pet owners to check for ticks after any trip outdoors and said prevention is also an option. There are collars, pills and externally applied products available if your dog is heading into a tick infested area.
And according to Gibbs, cats seem to fare pretty well against ticks.
"We don't know for sure whether ticks don't like cats as much as dogs, or whether cats groom so much they actually get ticks off."
With files from CBC's Saskatoon Morning