Why Ticks Are So Dangerous To Humans And Pets?
Ticks can be very annoying and dangerous pests. They wait for you while staying in a position called questing. This position involves them using their 3rd and 4th pairs of legs to hold onto leaves or grass and having their 1st pair of legs extended, waiting for a host to climb on.
Ticks then transmit disease to the host by cutting a hole in the skin and inserting their feeding tube. They can also secrete small amounts of anesthesia, so they can go unnoticed to the host. Ticks can be extremely dangerous to the host and cause major diseases like Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tick-borne Relapsing fever, and many more.
Ticks can cause major harm especially to unsuspecting pets. Pets like dogs are especially susceptible, because they like to walk and spend time in the woods and grass, where ticks like to stay. Ticks can also do nasty things to dogs, like consume enough of their blood to cause anemia, or giving them a disease.
Ticks also majorly effect cats. Many times, cats are animals that like to stay outside and roam around a neighborhood or the woods. This is a major problem for many pets because Ticks like to stay in commonly traveled areas.
Ticks like to live in humid, moist environments. They can adapt to other conditions but in general they live near their host. Ticks usually do not live in people’s homes but many times they infiltrate a home by attaching to a pet or child.
It is important to keep your kids and pets away from places where ticks might inhabit. Sometimes it can be beneficial to wear tick repellant to be extra safe. Its especially important to take preventative measures because of how small ticks can be. Some species can be less than ¼ of an inch, this can be quite easy to miss on a pet or child as they run through the door.
Adults are also at a great risk from ticks. If the tick from a pet or child gets to an adult it can give diseases like Lyme disease. Lyme disease can cause fevers, pain in joints, fatigue, and many other symptoms. Another disease from ticks is the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This disease can cause a fever, rashes, headache, and other symptoms.
Some diseases cause by ticks can be fatal if not treated properly, like the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It is important to remove a tick if you see it, sometimes it can save you from disease. The proper way to remove a tick is to use fine tipped tweezers and pull up from as close to the skin as possible with a steady pressure. After removing the tick, it is important to clean your hands and the bite area with rubbing alcohol.
Ticks do not have to be a life ending threat if you are careful. Its important to make sure that you take the proper precautions such as, checking for ticks after being in a grassy or wooded area. If you are careful then you should be prepared for any tick related problems that come your way. You just need to make sure to keep them away from pets and children because many times they are the ones who are majorly affected by the diseases, especially when they cannot recognize the tick.
