The sheep tick is a hard
tick, they have mouthparts that protrude forward but have no eyes. Adult males
are red/brown in colour whereas the females are a light grey. Males are smaller than females they are about
2-3mm long where as females tend to be 3-4mm long before feeding, After food
than can both be as long as 1cm. Ticks
are second to mosquitoes in transmitting infectious disease; they are zoonotic
so they transmit their disease to both humans and other animals. Sheep ticks are commonly known as the deer
tick they belong to the spider family, and are therefore not insects. They attach themselves to the host with there
long mouth parts and feed on blood, the first sign of a tick on your dog will
appear as a grey dot, as the tick feeds its body will enlarge and may become
the size of a pea, and at this point it is often mistaken for a lump or wart. Your dog is most likely to pick up a sheep
tick in moor land, woodland and heath land areas, in the spring and autumn
where tick numbers are at their peak. If you see a tick on your dog it will
need to be removed to do this you will need a tick hook which you can buy from
your vet you need to hook the tick and turn the hook clockwise, the tick will
come out easily, always ensure you remove the whole tick though an not just its
body, after removal clean the area with a antibiotic from your vet and wash
your hands thoroughly. Squeezing the tick will not kill it, soaking it in
alcohol will. Signs that your dog has just been bitten by a sheep tick may
include; irritation, inflammation, infection or an allergic reaction to the
bite. signs that your dog has been bitten by a sheep tick in the last 24 hours may include; a cough, swelling
in your dogs joints, loss of appetite, fever, lameness, and your dog may appear
lethargic and depressive, the longer the tick bite is left untreated the more
damage will be caused to your dog, this damage could result in death. In humans
sheep ticks have been known to transmit Lyme disease, Lyme disease is a
bacterial infection that is treated by antibiotics. It is very important to
treat your dog immediately if they have been bitten. However prevention is
better than cure so it is best to treat ticks before they occur by using
frontline a spray available from your veterinary surgery. This treatment is
very effective in the elimination of ticks and has a great impact on the
management of ticks worldwide. By using frontline ticks are eliminated
therefore significantly reducing the risk of disease transmission eventually
reducing the amount of disease such as Lyme disease.
