Safe Removal Of Ticks Imperative To Horse Health

News — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 13:47:58 +0000

Ticks are prevalent in many areas of the country this year and keeping them off horses can seem like a never-ending battle. Though the tiny, hard-bodied arachnids are difficult to see, removing them is imperative to keeping horses free from the life-threatening diseases they carry.

Ticks are equipped with powerful jaws, so removing them from a horse can be difficult. Though it can be tempting, don't crush or twist the tick when trying to get it off the horse. Although many people try, smothering the tick with baby oil or petroleum jelly or touching the tick with a lit match isn't the best strategy. It can potentially cause more harm if the tick regurgitates blood into the horse, increasing the risk of disease transmission. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, equine infectious anemia, piroplasmosis or equine granulocytic anaplasmosis.

Tick bites make horses itchy, but in large numbers they can cause more than just discomfort: they can cause enough blood loss to make the horse anemic. The best way to remove a tick is to use tweezers and grab the tick where it's attached to the skin. Using a steady force, pull the tick straight out and wash the area with an antiseptic solution.

Horse owners who are unsure what types of ticks thrive in their area should contact their local extension agent.

Hot Summer And COVID-19 Could Lead To Rise In Cases Of Lyme Disease And EEE

News — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 12:02:19 +0000

This spring, COVID-19 caused the shutdown of many businesses and organizations, leaving people with much more free time than usual. With not many options to occupy themselves while still remaining social distant, people began spending more time outside.

Spring is also the time of year when the tick-borne diseases tend appear. There may be a surge in cases of diseases spread by ticks as people spend more time outside in warmer weather. Dr. Sam Telford, a professor of Infectious Disease and Global Health at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts, has been collecting ticks from a variety of areas to test them for infectious diseases like Lyme disease, which affects both horses and humans.

The majority of tick-borne disease cases occur between June and August; dry weather can shorten the lifespan of ticks. Warm summer weather can lead to a surge in mosquito populations, which carry their own set of diseases, including Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). EEE comes in three-year cycles, says Telford.

Many diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes affect both humans and horses, as well as other companion animals. It's imperative that animals and humans be as protected as possible, which would include limiting standing water, checking for ticks daily, administering appropriate vaccines and applying insect repellents.

lyme disease | Horse Racing Free Tips

Safe Removal Of Ticks Imperative To Horse Health

Hot Summer And COVID-19 Could Lead To Rise In Cases Of Lyme Disease And EEE