Tick season is usually from April to October but it varies by region and climate changes. While ticks often prefer woody areas, thick underbrush, long grass, leaves that have fallen or accumulated and any kind of dense vegetation, they are also found in regular backyards, paths and trails in your neighbourhood. 

If you spend time outdoors with your dog – or cat – take the time to do a quick check for ticks when you get home. Once a tick attaches, it can take a mere 24 hours for bacteria to be transmitted so the clock is ticking (see what we did there?) on being able to remove the tick and protect your pet. 

Run your fingers through your pet’s fur around their head, ears (inside and out), under the collar, under legs, around the tail and between the  toes – these are the favourite hiding places of these pests. 

If you do find a tick, you must use a special tick remover to ensure removal of the entire tick – yes, including the head. Proper tick tools will allow you to remove the tick without touching it or crushing it to keep your pet and you safe. A crushed tick and any scratches or cuts on your skin can lead to the transmission of disease to you. Once you have the tick in a container, take a look to ensure that you did pull out the entire tick.

We recommend placing the tick in a closed container so that you can bring it to us to test to see if it carries Lyme Disease or any other tick-borne diseases. 

Tick Keys for tick removal are inexpensive and available at any pet store. 

Of course, the best protection against ticks is to ensure that you have year-round prevention with our custom-recommended flea, tick and heartworm preventative.