Keeping your pets safe
The risks to pets in Britain
Ticks are not just an occasional nuisance or a passing irritation for your pet. They should be given equal consideration to any other health-care issue. Responsible pet owners keep their animals vaccinated and wormed, they look after their pet's dental health, and use regular flea control. But how many people realise that ticks can also be a very serious threat to the health of their pet?
Whether you live in the countryside, suburban areas, or in the city,
if your pet goes in fields and woodland, in the park, or even in your
garden, ticks may have the opportunity to attach.
There are a number of tick species in the UK which will readily attach to our pets, and can transmit disease to them. The most common of these are the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus) and the hedgehog tick (Ixodes hexagonus). Both these species carry Borreliosis and other associated infections.
Tick bites can cause a variety of problems to animals. These can range from uncomfortable skin reactions and septic abscesses, to parasitic infections which can be a serious health threat, and in certain cases may prove fatal. Preventing tick attachment, and correctly removing any ticks that have attached, is key to preserving your pets health.
The risks to pets abroad
Since the introduction of the 
Pet Travel
Scheme (PETS) by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) in February 2000, many thousands of cats and dogs have entered
the United Kingdom from mainland Europe. Most of these animals are resident
in Britain and have accompanied their owners on holiday abroad. Others
have been imported into the UK from the continent. Despite the regulations
set out by PETS, which stipulate that the animal must be microchipped,
vaccinated, and treated for worms, fleas and ticks, animals have entered
the UK carrying infected tick species that are foreign to the UK. This
increases the risk of introducing foreign diseases and tick species which,
under the right conditions, could become established in the UK.
Protecting your pet makes sense
Getting out and about provides our pets, and us, with the exercise and stimulus that is essential for good mental and physical health. Keeping them, and you, sufficiently protected against ticks will allow continued enjoyment of the great outdoors in increased safety.
If your pet is unfortunate enough to contract a tick-borne infection,
your knowing the early-warning signs can significantly improve your pet's
chances of making a full recovery because veterinary attention can be
sought early in the course of the infection.
