Ick! Tick! The Okanagan area is a virtual convention centre for ticks. Learn how to prevent ticks from getting as attached to your pet as you are.

A common parasite that we start to see each spring in the Okanagan is the wood tick. Ticks are present in woody and grassy areas and are indiscriminate parasites. In other words, they don't care if their blood meal comes from a dog, person, bear, coyote or all of the above. They are small, slow moving crawlers about the size of the end of a pencil eraser before they attach. Once on board a host, they migrate to a nice warm area and attach themselves to the skin with their mouth parts.

On people they favour armpits, groin and the scalp under the hairline. I still recall my surprise as a young lad when I discovered a tick attached to me during my evening bath time. Once a tick attaches to the skin it becomes engorged with blood and feeds for several days. At this stage it looks like a little grey blimp about the size of a raisin. If you flip it up you can see eight tiny legs waving around. To remove a tick you grasp it close to the mouth parts and pull it off with steady traction. Soaking the tick first in an insecticide or rubbing alcohol helps loosen the grip.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "what problems can ticks cause? The answer is a whole bunch! Because they feed on numerous different species and hosts during their life cycle they are ideal vectors or transmitters of different diseases. Viral, bacterial and protozoal diseases have all been documented to have spread by ticks. One of the most dramatic diseases I have seen caused by ticks is tick paralysis. It can affect any species, including humans. The symptoms start with a wobbly gait and progress to a full paralysis in less than 24 hours. This frightening condition can be completely reversed in several hours by removal of the tick. I have seen several cases of tick paralysis each year since I have been in the Okanagan. In late March, I heard that a child in Kelowna was diagnosed with the condition in the spring.

How do you prevent ticks? The easiest and most effective product I have come across is the Preventic Collar. This collar is impregnated with an insecticide that remains effective for three months. Dogs that are active in grassy or wooded areas should wear these collars starting in late March. Replace the collar in late June and leave it on until fall. People should check themselves carefully after hiking, golfing (especially if you stray from the fairway a bit like yours truly), camping or any other outdoor activity.

With proper vigilance and preventive measures you and your pet can safely enjoy all kinds of outdoor recreation.

For more information on the Life Cycle of the Tick check out Pet Education