Not just a spring problem
Ticks affect animals all summer
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HANCOCK -- Tick season primarily begins in the early spring after thawing, however, people and pets are still at risk for tick bites in the late summer and early fall.
Northland Veterinary Clinic Veterinarian Kim Barna said certain types of household pets are susceptible to tick bites and contracting Lyme disease. "Dogs especially," she said. "But cats seem to have a little bit of resistance to it [ticks], partially because they groom themselves more and get the ticks off."
In addition to Lyme disease, pets are also at risk for contracting Anaplasmosis from infected ticks. Anaplasmosis, like Lyme disease, causes distress in pets. According to Cornell University Veterinary Medicine, symptoms in dogs include fever, low energy, loss of appetite and joint pain or limping.
Barna said ticks can inhabit anywhere outside where there is grass. Freshly mowed lawns, natural lawns, tall grass, shrub and wooded areas all pose tick-bite risk to animals. Although the best way to prevent tick bites for your companions is to do preventative care with your local Veterinarian. "There are topical ones (treatments) that you do once a year. There are some oral-chewable ones a month," she said. "There are some over-the-counter flea-tick products. The only issue with those is some of them do not last long enough."
Larger farm animals are also at risk for insect-borne disease. There is currently only a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs, which is administered near the spring, Barna said.
According to MSU Extension's cattle webpage, ticks can transmit diseases like Anaplasmosis and Lyme Disease. In cattle, Anaplasmosis commonly shows symptoms of fever, weight loss, decreased milk production, abortion, anemia and possibly death. It can be treated with antibiotics.
Another disease, theileriosis, can also wreak havoc in livestock such as cattle. It has similar symptoms to Anaplasmosis but may require blood transfusions. A way to combat ticks in farm pastures is through a rotation of insecticides and insect growth inhibitors.
Whether it be your furry friends or your livestock, ticks cause problems when the weather is warm and the grass is green. Barna added ticks used to not be as big of an issue in the fall as they were in the spring. "Those are the two diseases we see a big flare of in the fall nowadays," she said. "It's not just a spring problem like it used to be."