Tick-Borne Disease in Horses and Dogs
Are your animals at risk? You’ve seen the headlines. Ticks are spreading across the country, bringing tick-borne disease with them, putting horses and dogs at risk. Read on for our roundup of information about tick species and their habitats. And don’t worry: the premium pest control brand UltraShield® from Absorbine® offers multiple ways to protect your horse from ticks. Combine UltraShield® solutions with a few tips and best practices to protect your animals against tick-borne disease!
Ticks are notoriously difficult to find on a horse because horses are big, while ticks are small, slow moving, and dark colored. To make matters worse, ticks go through a nymphal stage during which they are even smaller. Many tick-borne diseases can still be transmitted by ticks during their nymph stage, including Lyme disease. So, let’s take a look at the diseases and their symptoms, the most common tick species (don’t get too creeped out!) and finally tactics and products that will help you and your animals keep those ticks at bay.
Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnosis
Here is your cheat sheet for recognizing the symptoms of tick-borne disease in horses and dogs.
Lyme Disease
It can take up to six weeks for Lyme disease symptoms to present themselves. It takes between 36-48 hours for the disease to be transmitted once a tick had attached to its host. There are multiple ways to test for Lyme disease, including tests to see if a tick you find on your animal is infected, as well as tests to see if your animal has been infected. Not all animals will contract Lyme even if the tick found on them was positive for it. It’s a complicated disease.
- Joint stiffness
- Shifting lameness (lameness travels from limb to limb)
- Low-grade fever
- Weight loss/loss of appetite
- Swollen/warm joints
- Lethargy
- Sensitivity to touch
- Stiff, arched-back walk (dogs)
- Uveitis (horses)
Anaplasmosis (Formerly Ehrlichiosis in horses)
Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis present similar symptoms, but are different pathogens and are transmitted by different ticks. Symptoms of Anaplasmosis present themselves in the Acute Stage within one to three weeks of infection. This disease is not always treated in horses, but once diagnosed should be monitored closely as symptoms can worsen and become more severe. Dogs are typically treated for both Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis with antibiotics
- High fever
- Edema/swelling
- Weight loss/loss of appetite
- Inability to walk regularly (ataxia)
- Weakness
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Difficult respiration
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Dogs will show symptoms within five days of becoming infected. This disease is not considered a problem for horses, but is common in dogs. Purebreds and notably German Shepherds are known to have severe reactions.
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Weight loss/loss of appetite
- Blood in urine
- Irregular heart beat (arrhythmia)
- Discolored skin
- Inability to walk regularly (ataxia)
- Edema/swelling
- Sudden bleeding from nose, or bloody stool
- Difficulty with blood clotting
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Pain in the eyes
- Inflammation, hemorrhage, or conjunctivitis in the mucosal membranes, most commonly in the eyes
Prevention
You’ll want to do everything you can to keep ticks off you, your dogs and your horses. In addition to our UltraShield tick protection products, add these tips to your plan for a tick-free season!
- Remove their environment. Ticks like the transition areas and bushes on the edges of fields. Trim back bushes at the edges of lawns and fields where your animals hang out. Ticks will also hide on low plants at the edges of trails. Once they know animals will be passing by regularly, they will come back to these areas. Try to stick to the center of trails. Young ticks (nymphs) like dark, moist areas like leaf piles so try to remove those too. Then take a shower.
- Keep grass short where applicable. Buy a lint roller, the kind with white sticky paper pads. Use it to roll over legs, faces, tail areas and bodies after being in tick areas (see above). You’ll be able to see any ticks stuck to the pad!
- Consider treating the edges of your property with a pyrethrin-based premise spray to add a barrier between ticks and your animals and family. There are services that will come and apply them for you.
- Inspect your animals by hand, feeling for attached ticks. They’ll love the attention and you’ll gain piece of mind. Ticks can attach in hard to reach areas like ears, armpits, rear-ends etc. where a lint roller may not reach well.
- Remove food sources for deer which harbor ticks.
- Use These Trusted UltraShield® Products To Protect Your Animals!
Shown above are horse tick control solutions offered in the UltraShield® line. From left to right: UltraShield® Green Natural Insect Repellent offers natural tick repellency for up to 8 hours. UltraShield® Red is your dependable utility player. It kills ticks on contact, and stands up well to the elements. UltraShield® EX Insecticide & Repellent, the “The Fly Spray In The Black Bottle™” as people call it, stands at the top of our line and is intended for the most intense pest conditions. It contains ingredients to both kill and repel ticks, plus coat conditioners and ingredients to help protect the formula from sun and rain. Last, protect your horse’s face from ticks and flies lurking at the fence line with the UltraShield® Fly Mask. Combine the UltraShield® products that are right for you and your horse for a tick-free season.
How-To
- Shake well before using
- Spray your horse’s entire coat, while avoiding sensitive areas like eyes and mouths
- Hold sprayer 8-10 inches from the horse ensuring liquid lands on the coat
- Use the correct amount on label – about 2 ounces or 45 pumps (average horse, UltraShield® EX)
- Apply more often at first, it will last longer as coverage builds on the coat
- Re-apply after bathing or heavy rain
- Store your UltraShield® out of the sun
- Choose a fly mask size using the halter size as a rough guide
- Once fitted, trim away excess hook and loop material
- Wash your fly mask if it gets dirty
For Dogs
The UltraShield® Flea & Tick Collar is an effective 6-month collar which slowly releases the pyrethroid active ingredient deltamethrin over your dog’s skin and coat. A great option if you prefer a non-greasy, convenient, slow-release option. Ticks die shortly after coming in contact with your dog. Ultra Shield EX and Ultra Shield Green Sprays are both safe for use on your dog.
How To
- Many insecticides and repellents made for dogs and/or horses are NOT safe for cats - CLICK HERE to shop cat safe supplies
- Fit your UltraShield® Flea & Tick Collar loosely, trim away excess
- The UltraShield® Flea & Tick Collar takes 2-3 weeks to take effect
- Leave UltraShield® Flea & Tick Collar on your dog 24/7
- Shake sprays well before use
- Use a rag or towel to apply sprays to the head and ears to avoid contact with the eyes
- Re-apply after a bath or swimming
