(Image Credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

TICK SEASON

Preventative meds will save your dog from ticks: Kamloops veterinarian

Apr 3, 2023 | 4:04 PM

KAMLOOPS — The weather is warming up and that means ticks are coming out for the season.

From now until fall, those spending time outdoors will need to be cautious of bringing home a tick.

“They start to quest and look for mammals to feed on and they are common in the grasslands areas in low brush and grasses,” Dr. Paul Hunter, from Columbia Summit Veterinarian Hospital told CFJC News. “Particularly on south-facing lower slopes is where they start early in the season and even like as long as a month ago they would have been seeking on the warm days.”

Especially those taking their dogs out in grassy areas, Hunter said, left untreated, ticks can cause dog paralysis in just a few days.

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He said owners should check their pets for ticks and remove any found pests, but preventative medicines can kill the parasites before they can do any damage.

“Mostly, we rely on prevention now, where we put our animals on a medication which will remove the tick with a neurotoxin to the tick as they get their first blood meal – they will fall off and die,” said Hunter. “That stuff’s really effective.”

These medications are available for both cats and dogs by vet prescription.