Springing Into Flea and Tick Season in the Great Outdoors
The birds in my New England town seem to know something I don’t, that despite what my weather app says, spring is around the corner! While the birdsong is a welcomed foreshadowing of warmer days to come, it is a reminder of the return of other fair-weather friends, like fleas and ticks. While we think of spring and fall as open season for these parasites, the Companion Animal Parasite Council and the American Animal Hospital Association both recommend year-round flea and tick control.
If you had a February like we did in the Northeast, you may be scratching your head right now wondering why your pets need prevention in these winter months. With snow and ice still covering much of the ground, it is easy to forget that ticks do not die in the winter and are out questing for a bloodmeal when temperatures exceed 40 degrees Fahrenheit (1). One of my favorite pictures to show pet owners depicts a deer tick questing on feet of snow in the middle of winter in Maine. Check that weather app again and look back over the last 30 days. Did your town see any temperatures above 40F? Then you and your pets were at risk of becoming a meal for these bloodthirsty parasites.
It is no surprise that many of us felt extra cooped up and lonely this winter, as we abided by shelter-in-place orders and turned to furry companionship to lift our mood and get us outside. While studies show that spending time in nature can improve wellbeing (2), it is important that we protect ourselves and our pets from the dangers that lie in the great outdoors. Owning a dog or cat puts people at increased risk of acquiring ticks and tickborne disease (3). Ticks are more than a gross nuisance and can carry a variety of diseases, depending on species of tick and where you live. Perhaps the most well-known tickborne disease is Lyme disease, caused by the corkscrew shaped bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Ticks carry other pathogens that can cause disease in pets and people including rickettsial diseases like anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and rocky mountain spotted fever or blood parasites like babesiosis (4). Common symptoms include fever, aches and pains, and a rash. Severity of symptoms can vary, and these diseases may present differently in pets compared to people. If you find an attached tick on your pet or yourself, remove it immediately by grasping as close to the skin as possible with tweezers applying firm traction and call your veterinarian or healthcare provider (4).
As winter breaks, it is more important than ever to talk to your veterinarian about parasite prevention options for your dogs and cats. Remember to treat every pet in the household, including indoor cats! A flea infestation will not be resolved if there is an untreated pet in the house for those fleas to bite (5). A recent study on ticks in cats found that even strictly indoor cats can acquire ticks (6). For these reasons, veterinarians recommend year-round flea and tick protection for all pets in your household.
As you head into the great outdoors this spring, remember to protect your fur babies and yourself from these parasites that lurk out of sight.
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As winter breaks, it is important than ever to talk to your veterinarian about parasite prevention options for your dogs and cats.
References:
Littman et al. ACVIM consensus update on Lyme borreliosis in dogs and cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2018; 32: 887-903.
Morris, B. For better health during the pandemic, is 2 hours outdoors the new 10,000 steps? Wall Street Journal Feb 14. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-better-health-during-the-pandemic-is-two-hours-outdoors-the-new-10-000-steps-11613304002 accessed 3/3/21).
Jones et al. Pet ownership increases human risk of encountering ticks. Zoonoses Public Health. 2018 February; 65(1):74-79.
Ticks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/symptoms.html accessed 3/3/21)
Dryden et al. In home assessment of either topical fluralaner or topical selemectin for flea control in naturally infested cats in West Central Florida, USA. Parasites and Vectors.(2018) 11:422.
Little et al. Ticks from cats in the United States: Patterns of infestation and infection with pathogens. Veterinary Parasitology. 2018 Jun 15; 257: 15-20.