Ticks Are Everywhere in Central Mass and They’re Out for Blood

Tick bites can be harmless, or they can infect you with diseases like Lyme disease or spotted fever.

Even though not all ticks carry infection, it’s best to try to prevent tick bites or to find them early. You would be best advised to take preventive action all year long with the one-two punch for Shrewsbury tick control.

Deer ticks are all around you! — Deer ticks are all around, looking for blood.

Many of us may have thought they die off in the winter after the first hard frost. Unfortunately, they do not. The adult black-legged deer tick, which spreads Lyme disease begins its prime feeding activity just about the time of the first freeze. The reason being is that their main host animals are deer and deer are actively moving around in the fall. If deer aren’t around, black-legged ticks will attach to people or pets anytime the weather starts getting warmer.

Exactly What Are Ticks?

Ticks are parasites that feed on warm-blooded hosts by biting them. A tick bite can infect humans and animals with bacteria, viruses and protozoans (organisms made up of one cell) that can cause diseases.

Some of these tick-borne illnesses can be very serious and may include:

Lyme disease
Tularemia
Ehrlichiosis
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Anaplasmosis
Babesiosis

Other conditions spread by ticks include:

Colorado tick fever
Powassan virus
Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI)
Tick paralysis
Spotted fever
Relapsing fever
Heartland virus

Why Are Ticks Such A Problem In Shrewsbury?

The biggest reason? They are so small. Ticks are typically small and difficult to see until they have been attached for some time. They feed on your blood and become larger and easier to see.

Tick species most commonly found here include:

American Dog Tick: This varmint will attach to animals including dogs, cattle, deer, raccoons and humans if given the chance.
Brown Dog Tick: These invasive pests usually attach to dogs, occasionally feeding on people and domestic cats.
Black Legged Deer Ticks: These harbingers of dread attach primarily on deer, cattle and other large animals and people. Deer Ticks are carriers of Lyme Disease transmitting it through bites. And if for no other reason than this alone, Shrewsbury tick control is an extremely smart way to protect yourself and your property.

Also read: Can you get Lyme disease in the winter?

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

Can cats catch vector-borne illnesses?

There are an estimated 30.5 million cat-owning households in the United States.

And while there are more households with dogs, the number of cats as pets in the U.S. is higher than the number of dogs. As a matter of fact, there are an estimated 5 million more pet cats than dogs – that’s 75 million cats total! There have been many studies regarding dogs and vector-borne illnesses over the years but not so many for cats. But with more cat-owning households than ever, medical science is working to catch up studies of cats and vector diseases.

Should cat owners be concerned about vector-borne illnesses?

Cats are an investment into our well-being. Like dogs and other pets, they are considered family members. As such, cat owners should be concerned about the potential for vector-borne ailments. But which ones and how concerned? Here are three vector-borne illnesses that your cat might be susceptible to.

Cytauxzoonosis – This illness is transmitted to cats by the American dog tick and lone star tick. Cats that live in a rural areas, where ticks are more prevalent, are at the highest risk of contracting cytauxzoonosis from the bite of an infected tick. The good news is that the only transmission of this disease is through a tick bite. Cats cannot pass this disease to each other, nor is there solid evidence that the illness can be passed from mother to kitten in the womb.

Symptoms of cytauxzoonosis include pale gums, lack of energy, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing.

Anaplasmosis – Vectors of this illness are the black-legged tick and western black-legged tick. Since the black-legged tick is also responsible for passing the bacterial that cause Lyme disease, it is possible that a cat can carry a co-infection of Anaplasmosis and Lyme. Neither of these diseases can be passed between cats.

Symptoms of Anaplasmosis in cats can include joint pain/limping, lethargy, loss of appetite, and fever.

Heartworm – Cats are an atypical host for heartworm disease, but they can become infected. Heartworm infection occurs from a mosquito bite. When a mosquito bites a wild animal, whose blood is infected with microscopic worms, it is then able to pass those worms onto its next host. The tiny worms are able to enter the bloodstream of the new host through the tiny hole left by the mosquito’s proboscis – the mouth part used to siphon blood from the host. A cat might have heartworm infection with no symptoms, but that does not mean that the infection cannot be dangerous. HARD, or heartworm associated respiratory disease, is one serious condition caused by infection in cats. There is no cure for feline heartworm infection – prevention is key.

Symptoms of feline heartworm infection include vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing.

Protect your cats from vector-borne illnesses with mosquito and tick control.

Dave Macchia mosquito conrol and tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia
Central Mass enthusiast for effective season-long mosquito and tick protection

As with any disease that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito or tick, prevention is better than the cure – and let’s not forget there’s not always a cure available. Protect your home and property from mosquito and tick invasions with effective Burlington tick and mosquito control. Even if your cat is 100% indoors, they are still susceptible to encountering a wayward tick or mosquito inside your home.

Anaplasmosis in Dogs

The deer tick is one of the two most common ticks in Central Massachusetts. This tick is not only a spreader of Lyme disease, but also anaplasmosis.

We love to get out of doors with man’s best friend this time of year in Central Mass. Hiking, neighborhood walks, and playing in our backyards with our pets brings much joy, but it can also be dangerous if our best friends are not properly protected from ticks. One of the more common tick-borne diseases for dogs in Central Mass is anaplasmosis. What is anaplasmosis? How is it treated?

anaplasmosis in dogs

Anaplasmosis in Dogs: Signs of Infection

If your pet has experienced an anaplasmosis-infected tick bite from a deer tick, he might begin to show symptoms within one week. Though, some dogs never show symptoms at all. Common symptoms are loss of appetite, lethargy, and joint pain – very similar symptoms to Lyme disease. Less common signs of anaplasmosis might be nausea and labored breathing. There are a few clinical tests available, which can diagnose the disease, and your veterinarian will recommend the testing method that is best for your pet if anaplasmosis is suspected.

anaplasmosis in cats

Cats can contract anaplasmosis, too. Though, it is less common in cats than dogs. If your cat is infected, it will show similar symptoms to the ones mentioned above.

Your Dog Can Have Anaplasmosis and Lyme Disease at the Same Time

It is not uncommon for dogs to become infected with Lyme disease and anaplasmosis at once, because both diseases are spread by infected deer ticks. If diagnostics show co-infection, your dog will be treated more aggressively than with single-infection. The good news is, treatment is very successful, requiring only doxycycline. The length of treatment will depend on whether your dog is suffering from only anaplasmosis, or both diseases. Typical treatment is two to four weeks, and symptoms can become greatly reduced in less than two days. It is essential that you continue to administer doxycycline for the full recommended course, even when symptoms have diminished.

Prevention is Essential for Your Pet: Choose Professional Tick Control Methods

tick control Andover MA The best methods of tick-borne disease prevention for your pets are tick control barrier sprays for your yard, daily tick checks, and oral flea and tick preventatives. Though anaplasmosis is often easily treated, an ounce of prevention offers much better assurance for the health and well-being of our pets. Effective Central Mass tick control is achieved through regular barrier treatments of your yard, every couple of weeks, in the spring, summer, and fall. Tick tubes “out of season” will help greatly reduce the tick population around your home when springtime comes back around.

Also read: Can ticks cause anemia in dogs?

Central Mass Ticks: American Dog Tick vs. Deer Tick

Central Mass ticks have one thing in common. They want to feed on your blood.

What do ticks look like? The main goal of all female ticks is to get their next blood meal, grow to adulthood, and reproduce. It’s their driving force. Both the American dog tick and deer tick are common in Central Mass. We know how they are the same. How do they differ?

Central Mass tick: deer tick

Also known as the black-legged tick, this Central Mass tick is the main spreader of Lyme disease. Most Lyme cases result from the bite of a female nymph deer tick. It takes 36 to 48 hours for a deer tick to transmit Lyme disease. Nymph ticks are so small that they are often missed until they become engorged with blood. The biggest threat for a bite from a deer tick in Central Mass is springtime, summer, and fall. Though, ticks live in winter in Central Mass. According to the CDC, adult deer ticks could be out questing for their blood meal in temperatures above freezing. Deer ticks in Central Mass might also transmit Anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, and Babesiosis.

Central Mass ticks: deer tick

Central Mass tick: American dog tick

Another nasty tick common to Central Mass is the American dog tick, also known as the wood tick. This tick is not only common in our area, but is prevalent east of the Rocky Mountains. According to the CDC, the dog tick has limited populations on the Pacific coast. Adult females are the most likely to deliver a bite to their host, and they are responsible for some serious tick-borne illnesses. The American dog tick is the most common vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Tularemia. Dog tick bites tend to be mostly in the spring and summer.

Central Mass ticks: American dog tick

Now is the time for Central Mass tick control.

tick control Massachusetts Warm weather has arrived. We are spending more time outdoors. Central Mass ticks are on the prowl. They are hanging on low-lying vegetation in your backyards and your favorite outdoor areas, like playgrounds, hiking trails, and even the beach. You can help prevent tick-borne illnesses, like the ones above, by hiring a reputable Central Mass tick control company to spray all the areas around your home. Barrier tick sprays are available to keep your family safe at home, and should be professionally applied to your yard about ever three weeks throughout “tick season,” springtime, all the way through autumn. Don’t wait until you find a tick on yourself, a family member, or the family pet. An ounce of prevention is worth all the cure in the world! And let’s not forget, some tick diseases, like Lyme disease, cannot be cured.

Tag: Anaplasmosis