Tiques et Maladies Transmises par les Tiques chez les Animaux
Les tiques portent des maladies qui peuvent rendre les animaux gravement malades. Apprenez à retirer les tiques en toute sécurité et à prévenir les infestations.
Ticks are more than just blood-sucking pests — they transmit serious diseases to dogs and cats. In many regions, tick-borne diseases are on the rise due to climate change and expanding tick habitats. Prevention is the best protection. RVC provides tick prevention products and testing. Call +853 6677 6611.
Points Clés
- Ticks transmit Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Ticks must be attached for 24-48 hours to transmit most diseases
- Regular tick checks after outdoor activity help catch ticks early
- Safe removal with tweezers reduces disease transmission risk
- Year-round tick prevention is recommended in endemic areas
- Tick-borne diseases can cause fever, joint pain, anemia, and neurological signs
Common Tick-Borne Diseases
Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi): transmitted by deer ticks. Causes fever, joint pain, lameness, and kidney disease in dogs. Ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis): causes fever, weight loss, bleeding disorders, and eye inflammation. Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum): causes fever, joint pain, and low platelet count. Babesiosis (Babesia canis): destroys red blood cells, causing anemia, jaundice, and dark urine. Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Rickettsia rickettsii): causes fever, rash, and vasculitis.
Tick Identification and Removal
Common ticks: deer tick (black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis), brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), and Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum). To remove: use fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, pull upward with steady pressure. Don't twist, squeeze, burn, or apply chemicals. Clean the bite area with antiseptic. Save the tick in a sealed container for identification if disease is suspected.
Prevention Products
Oral isoxazolines (Bravecto, NexGard, Simparica, Credelio) kill ticks within hours of attachment and provide 1-3 months of protection. Topical products (Frontline, Advantix, Revolution) repel and kill ticks. Tick collars (Seresto) provide 8 months of protection. Choose based on your pet's lifestyle, local tick species, and your preference. All pets in endemic areas should be on year-round prevention — ticks are active whenever temperatures are above freezing, and indoor pets can still be exposed.
Symptoms and Testing
Symptoms of tick-borne disease: fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, joint pain or lameness, swollen lymph nodes, bleeding/bruising, pale gums (anemia), and neurological signs. Some infections cause no symptoms for months. Testing: in-house snap tests (4DX, Accuplex) detect antibodies to Lyme, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Heartworm. Additional PCR tests detect DNA of Babesia and other pathogens. Regular screening is recommended for dogs in endemic areas.
Quand Aller chez le Vétérinaire
- Tick found attached to your pet
- Fever, lethargy, or lameness after tick exposure
- Swollen joints or difficulty walking
- Pale gums or unexplained bruising/bleeding
- Dark urine or jaundice (yellow gums/eyes)
- Living in or traveling to a tick-endemic area
Comment le Centre Royal Peut Aider
RVC provides tick prevention products and testing for tick-borne diseases. Call +853 6677 6611.
Cet article est à titre éducatif uniquement. Contactez le Centre Royal au +853 6677 6611.