Ewww, it’s a Tick!
by Norma A. Hubbard (April 2012)
As a kid growing up in the valley I do not remember ticks being a problem and I was always in the woods. It wasn’t until I went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina that I met my first tick; I found it attached to my skin and he wasn’t letting go! I was completely grossed out by it, but a local knew exactly what to do and was really calm about it. Of course, the tick wasn’t on her. Today while I am not happy to find ticks on our dog (or myself for that matter) I, too, am no longer completed grossed out by ticks. Sadly my own tolerance of ticks comes from having removed dozens of ticks from our dog. So where are all these ticks coming from and what should we know about them?
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Deer Ticks, now known as Blacklegged Ticks, are becoming established in our area – the Monteregie and Estrie regions. This means that we need to be more vigilant about ticks because ticks are here in Hemmingford and ticks can carry Lyme disease. So along with the wonderful early spring weather we experienced in March came all the bugs and unfortunately some of those bugs were ticks. We have already removed a tick from our dog and it was only March!
However before anyone panics, there are a few other facts to know. While these nasty little bugs are in our area, there are very few cases of Lyme disease in Canada. Nonetheless it is best to take precautions to lessen our exposure to ticks. Several sites suggest the following steps:
• “Avoid tall grasses and shrubby areas, favourite habitats of ticks. Keep lawns mowed regularly.”
• “Personal protection includes wearing long pants tucked into socks, long sleeve shirts and hats, and repellents containing DEET can be sprayed on outer clothing.” Personally, I do not recommend DEET, and I would never use it on children or animals, nor would I apply it directly to skin. In any case, always carefully read the label of any repellent that you want to use.
“Careful examination of your person and pets following exposure to potential tick habitats. Use a wide flea comb on your pets following an outing to remove any ticks not yet attached.” I would also recommend flea and tick drops which are applied once a month during tick season – ask your vet how to protect your animals. And you can purchase a tick remover and there are sev- eral brands on the market, which are easier to use than tweezers.
• “Discourage deer and other wild animals from your yard and home.” We do encourage deer and other wild- life (like our flying squirrels that are still here) to live on our property and I do walk in our forest wearing sandals, so I do check often for ticks.
While some of these measures to avoid ticks do not seem reasonable, especially the long sleeves and pants in the heat of the summer months, the important thing is to be aware. If you do find a tick on yourself or on your pet, according to the PHAC you should do the following:
“To remove ticks that are embedded in skin, use tweezers to carefully grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly upward, avoiding twisting or crushing the tick. Do not try to burn or smother the tick. Cleanse the bite area with soap and water, alcohol or household antiseptic. Note the date and location of the bite and save the tick in a secure container such as an empty pill vial or film canister. A bit of moistened paper towel placed inside the container will keep ticks from drying out. Dried out ticks are more difficult to identify and test for infection. If you are con- cerned about removing a tick from yourself or a member of your family, it is advisable to ask for assistance from a medical practitioner. […]Similarly your local veterinarian will be able to remove ticks from your pets and advise on any treatments they may require.”
We have sent several ticks to the National Microbiology Laboratory (part of PHAC) for testing and none have had tested positive for Lyme disease; the bottom-line is, it is always best to be on the lookout for ticks. For information visit PHAC at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/id-mi/tickinfo- eng.php