The weather is getting warmer, so, naturally, people are spending more time in their backyards.
Unfortunately, your pet can still be exposed to ticks—even in your backyard!
However, you can make your yard less attractive to ticks, depending on how you landscape.
Here are some simple tricks and techniques you can employ this year to help reduce the tick population around your home:
For dogs, it is recommended to do heartworm and tick testing on yearly basis. This involves taking a small sample of blood and checking for the presence of both the heartworm parasite and any of the tick-borne diseases. If the tests come back negative, preventative medication is dispensed, to be administered on a monthly basis throughout the season (April through November for ticks, and June through November for heartworm).
Preventative medication comes in two forms – either as a tablet that is taken orally, or as a liquid that is applied to their skin and absorbed. Different medications will protect your pet to varying degrees, so ask your veterinarian which medication is right for your pet!
– Special thanks to DVM360 & The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
