{"id":3374,"date":"2021-10-07T10:47:10","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T08:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ultrasoundtech.localhost\/how-to-spot-ticks\/"},"modified":"2021-10-07T10:47:12","modified_gmt":"2021-10-07T08:47:12","slug":"how-to-spot-ticks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultrasoundtech.it\/en\/how-to-spot-ticks\/","title":{"rendered":"How to spot ticks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A warm climate, just the right level of humidity, a green lawn or an enchanting country road: who, in such a setting, would think of ticks<\/strong>? Sometimes, overwhelmed by the pleasure of spending time outdoors, we don\u2019t think about potential threats to our health and that of our pets. <\/p><\/p>\n\n

So, we should ask ourselves: what do we do if we come into contact with a tick<\/strong>? Or, even more importantly, how can you tell if you have a tick<\/strong>? <\/p><\/p>\n\n

Here are some elements to consider.<\/p>\n\n

Ticks: learn to recognise them<\/strong><\/h2><\/h2>\n\n

Easy to say, not as easy to do: who would be able, at first glance, to recognise a tick<\/strong>?<\/p><\/p>\n\n

Ticks are rather small parasites (i.e. millimetres or a centimetre long), with a characteristic flattened teardrop shape; usually, the male (black or very dark brown) is smaller than the female which, in addition to its size, is also recognisable by its light greyish colour. They feed on the host\u2019s blood, whether this is an animal or humans, and their mouth is visible. <\/p>\n\n

There are many species: 850 all over the world!\u00a0 Usually, regardless of the species, the modus operandi of ticks<\/strong> is always the same. They infest a mammal and remain attached for about 5 days, sucking its blood; after feeding, the tick detaches, returning to the ground for mutation at the next stage.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

The duration of the life cycle<\/strong> varies from a few months to 3 years and the female deposits several thousand eggs on average.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

But where are ticks found? <\/strong><\/h2><\/h2>\n\n

Like everyone, ticks also have ideal environments<\/strong>, humid and warm. You are more likely to come across the parasite in a green area, but they can also be present in the city and homes (transported unknowingly), hiding in the cracks in walls, behind skirting boards, or under carpets.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

They are particularly active in summer but they are also present in spring and early autumn; they tend to be less active in the colder months of winter when they enter a state of hibernation, known as \u201cdiapause<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

How to tell if a dog or cat has a tick <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Ticks, thanks to their Haller\u2019s organ<\/strong>, which is a sensory instrument capable of sensing changes in temperature and carbon dioxide, find their hosts, allowing them to fall and hook onto them. Cats and dogs first and foremost. By walking along the fur of our four-legged friends, ticks identify the best area of the body to which it can silently attach itself.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

They can be found anywhere, but prefer the head<\/strong>, the base of the ears<\/strong>, the lips<\/strong> or the sides of the eyes <\/strong>and tail<\/strong>. So pay attention to these areas of the animal’s body where they nest more; it is always good to check your pet when returning home after a walk outdoors.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

It must also be said that before biting with the rostrum, the tick causes a wound (hypostome<\/strong>), secreting a substance which fixes the buccal system; this is why you cannot easily pull them off, the risk (as the tick is firmly in place) is of detaching the body but not the mouth, breaking them (we talk about it here: How to correctly remove a tick from your pets<\/em><\/a>)<\/u>.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

Not everyone knows, that when present and when feeding, the tick also releases some substances into the animal’s blood, with anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant effects, to lower the host’s immune defences and allow it to continue to feed undisturbed, also transmitting pathogens. <\/p>\n\n

So, how do you look for ticks on cats and dogs?<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

By always inspecting your pet, running your fingers through its fur to find any possible rounded protuberances on the surface of the skin. But, as we said, it\u2019s not only dogs or cats that are at risk of tick bites, humans can also be victims. <\/p>\n\n

How to tell if a person has a tick and where the ticks attach themselves <\/strong><\/h2><\/h2>\n\n

Tick bites<\/strong> can lead to certain reactions and symptoms<\/strong> in humans, facilitating their recognition and discovery. These include:<\/p><\/p>\n\n