Ticks and Lyme Disease
"TICK-ING" TIME BOMB 
by Dr. James Nicolas, D.V.M.
Iron Mountain Animal Hospital
There is a major change happening all across the USA concerning the spread of more species of ticks and the diseases that they carry and these diseases not only affect dogs, they are putting humans at risk as well.
For years ‘tick season’ in our area usually started in late April to early May and came to an abrupt end in the first or second week of July. It was very rare to find a tick outside of this time of the year. Over the past couple of years it is becoming obvious that these days are gone for good.
The tick that we refer to locally as the ‘wood tick’ has been here for years. They came to our area on shipments of cattle from Texas, where the meat from the cattle was used to help feed the lumberjacks during the timber harvest days of the late 1900’s. These ‘wood ticks’ are properly named the ‘American Dog Tick’ or scientific name, Dermacentor variables, and can transmit Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to dogs and humans, according to Dr. Katherine M. Kocan of Oklahoma State University’s Department of Veterinary Services, however they are not vectors of Lyme disease.
Over the past couple of years it is obvious that our area is now becoming increasingly populated with a tick that is very common in the eastern United States and is the major carrier of Lyme disease. This tick which is commonly called the ‘deer tick’ is properly named the ‘Black-legged tick’ or Ixodesscapularis. This tick is commonly found in Menominee county of Michigan and in central Wisconsin, however in the past year we are seeing these ticks rapidly spread across our entire area. Recently, the Spread Eagle, Wisconsin area is becoming a ‘hot spot’ for the Black-legged tick. In addition to being the most commonly reported tick-borne disease among Americans, Lyme disease exposure is a serious concern for dogs. Dogs have tested positive for Lyme disease in all 48 contiguous states in the United States. Having a positive test does not necessarily correlate to active infection, but it is an indicator that more animals are exposed to the deer tick than previously thought. Canine Lyme disease often goes unnoticed, but signs can include limping, lymph node swelling, fever, loss of appetite and painful joints. Not only does this tick put dogs and humans in our area at an increased risk of contracting Lyme disease, these ticks are proven carriers of Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis.
Another very disturbing fact is the black-legged tick life cycle is a two year cycle which puts us at risk of seeing these ticks throughout the warm season. We have now seen these ‘deer ticks’ on dogs every month starting in March and continuing through November, making the tick season up to nine months long in the local area.
To protect yourself and your pets from ticks, the Iron Mountain Animal Hospital is recommending the use of a long acting tick killing product on all dogs and outdoor cats. We recommend using Frontline Plus applied every month from spring through late fall. Wear appropriate clothing when in tick-prone areas and spray your clothing with a permethrin-based insecticide to repel ticks. It is very important that only the clothing be sprayed. This insecticide should not come into contact with the skin at any time. For this reason, we do not recommend permethrin-based products for use on our pets because of the unavoidable contact with our skin, especially when children are handling the dog or cat. Many over the counter flea and tick products have permethrin in them and these products should be used very cautiously, if at all. Frontline Plus does not contain permethrin, lasts a full month, and is waterproof, which is why it is our number one selling tick control product. Frontline Plus is equally effective on fleas as well.
Contact your veterinarian to develop a proactive Lyme prevention protocol for your dog, including Lyme disease vaccinations, use of a tick control product, and regular tick checks and removal.