As the weather gets warmer, it’s important to understand the potential dangers that face your furry friend in the great outdoors. Ticks, microscopic parasites that burrow their heads below the surface of the pet’s skin causing disease and irritation become prevalent in the warmer summer months.

Ticks are common in almost every part of the world, but are especially prevalent on beaches, in open fields and in wooded areas. These parasites are typically found between the toes and in the ears of household pets. The best protection is prevention - flea and tick collars should be worn during the summer months.

If your pet gets a tick, the parasite should be removed right away. To remove a tick, cover the back of the tick with oil or alcohol and wait for the tick to back out of the skin. If using tweezers, make sure that the entire tick is removed and that the head of the tick is not broken off under the skin. Never use a hot match to remove ticks.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 10:22 am and is filed under Pets General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.