Warmer weather means the start of tick season, so pet owners in northern states need to be increasingly vigilant. Examine your dogs and cats daily, but don’t fall for the old idea that you can use turps or methylated spirits to remove them.
Picture by Rueben Whitehouse
Veterinarian and Dogs NSW spokesman Dr Peter Higgins points out that this method can actually endanger your animals:
If owners do find a tick NEVER apply metho or turps to the area as this will cause the tick to inject all its venom at once.
If you do find a tick, remove it with a small pair of scissors and then take it to a vet immediately. Dogs NSW is predicting that the tick population will be larger than usual because of the recent mild winter, so make sure you check regularly (feeling the coat is more reliable than simply performing a visual check).
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