With the constantly rising temperatures and the ever longer days, it is not only spring that announces itself but also unwanted pests such as ticks that will now keep pet owners busy again for several months.

In most cases, these small crawling animals make us humans feel a bit uneasy and there is a good reason for that too. Ticks are known for transmitting diseases such as borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), ehrlichiosis and babesiosis which in the worst case can also result in the death of the host animal.

As a general rule, it can be said that cats, in contrast to dogs and humans, only suffer from these diseases in very rare cases. They appear to have a very good defence system against these diseases. However, cats can carry ticks that then move to humans when the cat is stroked.

Transmitted diseases

The tick that occurs in Europe, which is also called the castor bean tick, primarily transmits tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and borreliosis to humans. However, dogs can also get borreliosis and in rare cases TBE but the animals are less susceptible than us humans and their immune system can protect itself better against possible pathogens. In addition to symptoms of fever, TBE can also trigger neurological failures such as paralysis and changes in behaviour as the disease affects the dog’s brain.

The latest insights have shown that antibodies against borrelia have been found in the blood of most dogs that are regularly bitten by ticks or live in regions with a large number of ticks. For this reason, borreliosis in dogs is now seen as overdiagnosed. If your dog should become infected nevertheless, the symptoms are very unspecific – they range from lethargy and joint trouble to heart problems. Although there is a vaccination against borreliosis in dogs, this is debatable even among experts.

Babesiosis, which is also called dog malaria, is a disease that can destroy the red blood cells of the dog and thus trigger progressive anaemia in the dog. Possible symptoms are a temperature, lethargy or also lack of appetite. Depending on the pathogen and constitution of the dog, the illness can take a different course or even be fatal.

Ehrlichiosis is an acute to chronic infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Ehrlicha canis. Ehrlichiosis is endemic in the tropics and sub-tropics and in the Mediterranean region, meaning that dogs are at risk particularly on holiday trips to these regions. Dogs with acute ehrlichiosis can suffer, among others, from a high temperature, apathy, lack of appetite, swellings of the lymph nodes and bleeding. Dogs suffering from chronic ehrlichiosis lose weight and show a clear tendency to bleed.

Protective measures

The yearly rise in temperatures all over the world means that tropical pathogens can also spread ever further northwards and infect people and animals with dangerous diseases. So that you can protect yourself and your pet properly, there are various prophylactic measures that you can take:

• Where possible, check your dog for ticks after every walk.
• Avoid areas that are heavily infested by ticks. A map with the tick areas can be found here.
• Use an anti-parasite collar (e.g. the OptiPet pest collar) or SPOT ON product (e.g. OptiPet SPOT ON) – depending on what is more pleasant for your pet. Alternatively, there are also preparations for ingestion, but these are chemical products and not easily tolerable for all animals.
• To protect the surrounding area, a spray can be used that protects against fleas, ticks, lice and mites, e.g. the OptiPet Spray INSECTICIDE.
• We advise against so-called homoeopathic anti-tick agents as these can have serious side effects.

Nevertheless, it is not unequivocally clarified what agent works best against ticks. It is presumed to be a combination of the individual body odour and the tick repellent. Try out what works best, what your pet tolerates best, and what agent is also easy for you to use. Please remember, however, that neither chemical nor natural agents guarantee full protection against ticks.