Ticks are parasites belonging to the class of arachnids, the same as spiders and, to date, 3 different families are known, although the most common and known are only 2: the hard or ixodidae ticks and the soft ticks, Argasidae (the latter are more specific some birds).
They are bloodsucking parasites, which therefore feed on blood, which manage to suck through a modified mouthparts just to be able to damage the skin and feed on the rostrum.
How do you distinguish a young tick from an adult tick?
The tick, in its life cycle, faces different evolutionary stages. dall 'egg in fact, one comes out larva, at most half a millimeter large, which will turn into nymph, to then become adult. Dark-colored adults measure up to 10 mm after the blood meal. To change every tick needs a blood meal, which can be done in days or weeks, and the whole cycle also lasts 2 years. The tick does not jump and does not fly, but lurks at the ends of leaves or blades of grass, waiting for a guest to pass.
Why are ticks dangerous?
Ticks are gods dangerous pests since they can transmit, during the meal, numerous diseases, often serious! Among the main ones we mention Lyme disease or borreliosis, the button fever caused by rickettsiae, tick encephalitis, ehrlichiosis and many others.
What are the risky areas?
Definitely the areas most at risk are those with a large influx of animals, precisely because without a host, ticks cannot feed and change, therefore kennels e public gardens, countryside areas especially near farms. In nature they are present all year round, in fact during the winter they live a sort of lethargy in hidden or even underground places, and they manage from their hiding places during spring and summer.
How can I prevent tick bite?
It is certainly easy for people, in fact it is enough to pay attention to clothing, especially when hiking in the mountains or walking in the meadows, that's why it would be important to use long pants better if they are light colored, and to place the socks over the latter creating a barrier difficult to overtake. For animals there are many repellent products on the market, both chemical and natural, to be administered by mouth or in the form of a spot on vial or spray to be sprayed if necessary.
Chemical or natural?
If it is true that the chemical active ingredients are created specifically for ticks, it is also true that raising awareness of these principles is very quick and easy, often making the ingredients that were the best against ticks less effective years ago. This is why nature is very useful, which makes us available to many plant to be combined according to the year and in different concentrations, creating unique formulas and reducing the possibility of tick awareness to active ingredients.
If I have to find a tick on the dog, how can I detach it properly?
The tick would go extracted as soon as possible, in fact, the transmission of any pathologies takes place after many hours from the adhesion of the tick to the skin. To extract them you can use special extractors which are also easily found in pet shops, or tweezers. The tick must be taken with these tools avoiding to crush it and it must be "unscrewed" exercising one slight pressure! There bite area will then go disinfected and kept under control for a few weeks.
Prevention, as always, is the best defense we have!
Veterinary Physician Dr. Paola Zintu
Photo: Carlos Eduardo Joos, mr_wahlee
