If you own a pet, you should add one small but vital step to their outdoor routine this Bank Holiday, which involves checking them after they’ve been for a walk
Cat and dog(Image: Getty Images)
As families across Ireland prepare for the Bank Holiday, pet owners are being urged to check their beloved animals for one important reason.
If you own a pet, you should add one small but vital step to their outdoor routine: checking them for ticks after walks, garden time and days out.
Ticks are found across Ireland in both urban and rural areas, including parks, woodland, heathland and grassy areas. While they are often associated with countryside walks, pets can also pick them up closer to home, including in gardens and local green areas.
For pet owners heading outdoors this Bank Holiday weekend, MSD Animal Health is encouraging a simple tick-check routine:
Think beyond the countryside
Ticks are not just a risk on hikes or forest trails. They can also be found in parks, gardens, long grass, and woodland edges.
Make the post-walk check a habit
After outdoor time, run your hands slowly over your pet’s coat and feel for small bumps. Ticks can be hard to spot, especially on longer-haired pets.
Check the hidden spots
Pay particular attention to the ears, head, neck, paws, underbelly, armpits and beneath collars or harnesses, where ticks can be easily missed.
Don’t pull with your fingers
If you find a tick, avoid squeezing or pulling it off with your fingers. Incorrect removal can leave parts of the tick behind, so use an appropriate tick-removal tool where possible or contact your vet for advice.
Check the whole family
Because pets can pick up ticks outdoors and bring them into the family, owners should also check their own clothing, skin, and children after time spent in grassy or wooded areas.
The reminder comes as Lyme Disease Awareness Month draws to a close this May, but the risk does not end. According to the HSE, up to 400 cases of Lyme disease occur in Ireland annually, with ticks most active from April onwards.
Prevention is better than a cure
It may be too late for this weekend (or not!), but talk to your vet about 12-month flea and tick prevention options: a monthly tablet, a quarterly chew or the 12-month injection.
Seán Coffey, MVB. Mulcair Vets, Newport, Co Tipperary said: “Bank Holiday weekends are made for getting outdoors – longer walks on the wonderful bogs and hills around Ireland, garden time, and family days out. That is great news for pets, but it can also mean more chances for dogs and cats to pick up ticks along the way. The message is not to avoid the outdoors. It is simply to make tick checks part of the going-home routine, just like wiping muddy paws or topping up the water bowl. A quick check after a walk can make a real difference, especially around the ears, head, neck, paws, underbelly and beneath the collar or harness.
“Ticks are small and easy to miss, so it is worth slowing down and checking properly. If an owner finds a tick and is unsure how to remove it safely, they should contact their vet for advice. Tick awareness is often spoken about during May, but ticks remain an issue year-round, well beyond Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Regular checks and appropriate parasite treatments can protect your pet’s wellbeing and help owners enjoy the outdoors more confidently.”
Research by MSD Animal Health has previously shown that 46% of dog owners and 51% of cat owners reported missing flea and tick treatments over the past year, highlighting the need for year-round protection.
Want to see more of the stories you love from RSVP ? To add RSVP as a preferred source of news on Google, simply click here
