Pet Owners: It's National Tick Awareness Month in Canada

by Jennifer Smith March 20, 2017

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association led the first inaugural campaign last year declaring March to be Tick Awareness Month across Canada. In partnership with Merck Animal Health, the campaign wishes to spread light on the danger of tick behavior and the importance of enforcing tick control to keep pets safe.

“The veterinary community may not be able stop tick expansion, but there’s still a great deal we can do to help change public perceptions and behaviors when it comes to tick control,” says Dr. Troy Bourque, CVMA President. “National Tick Awareness Month is a rare opportunity for us to educate and empower pet owners, so we can work together to help prevent the spread of tick-borne diseases that can affect the health of pets and people.”

In most parts of Canada, tick activity begins when the snow starts to melt and the weather warms up. As pet owners spend more time outdoors with their pets, they need to be aware of ticks and what to look out for.

Some ticks do carry tick-borne illnesses including Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. If dogs, once active, are now lethargic after outdoor activity, they may have been bitten by a tick. Symptoms of tick diseases may not occur for several weeks or months; and in humans, are often mistaken for the flu. For these reasons, it's important that pet owners perform thorough tick checks on their pets after extended time outside in the backyard, on the trail or at the dog park.

If your pet encounters a tick bite, successfully remove the tick. To safeguard pets this Tick Awareness Month, DeerbustersCanada encourages homeowners to install a deer fence around properties to keep out wildlife that may be carrying ticks.