Pet Connection: Warm weather means tick season has started early

Tick season is between May and September, right? That has been the conventional wisdom until recently.

Two recently published studies found that deer, or black-legged, ticks – the ones that spread Lyme disease – are emerging earlier and expanding their range, thanks to warmer spring temperatures and milder fall weather.

Based on data collected over 19 years, researchers concluded that milder weather allowed nymphs – immature ticks – to feed as much as three weeks earlier in spring. The change in activity may presage a spread of tick-borne diseases, one that’s already being seen in some areas.

Tick populations have moved northward into Canada, making Lyme disease endemic in southern Ontario, says Susan E. Little, DVM, who teaches veterinary parasitology at Oklahoma State University and is president of the Companion Animal Parasite Council. Ticks have also moved up in altitude and are now found at higher elevations in Appalachia than in the past.

“It used to be that ticks weren’t at 3,000 or 4,000 feet, and now they are,” Little says. “That’s a change that we think is due to warming trends.”

Ticks are also moving farther south. From its origins in the Northeast, Lyme disease is now established down the Virginia coast and into North Carolina. In the Midwest, ticks are moving southward across Iowa, through the northern half of Illinois and most of Indiana and into the lower peninsula of Michigan. One or more species of tick can now be found in every state, including Alaska.

Climate isn’t the only culprit. Ticks piggyback on wildlife, such as white-tailed deer and coyotes, which spread them to new habitats; they can also be carried away by migratory birds. Habitat modification, such as increasing development in formerly rural areas, also contributes to the expansion of tick territory. “We’re seeing a general expansion of range,” Little says. “It’s probably facilitated by longer, warmer periods in most of the country.”

If you’re still digging out from the snow that buried much of the Northeast this winter, you may have your doubts about that. But even if ticks aren’t active all 365 days of the year, they are active every month of the year. There will always be a few days that are warm enough for them to make an appearance.

A tick begins the disease transmission cycle when it inserts its sharp mouthpiece into a rodent or deer and feeds on its blood. In the process, the tick takes in bacteria, protozoa and viruses that it later passes on to cats, dogs and humans. Yes, cats, too. They don’t appear to get Lyme disease – yet – but ticks can transmit a deadly disease called cytauxzoonosis to cats, as well as ehrlichia and anaplasmosis.

What can you do to ward off the beastly bloodsuckers?

▪ Start thinking about tick prevention before May. Little recommends year-round protection no matter where you live.

▪ Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick preventive measures for your pet’s lifestyle, as well as about the species of ticks found in your area. Products include oral preventives that kill both ticks and fleas on dogs, and long-lasting anti-tick collars for use on dogs and cats.

▪ Keep grass short and foliage trimmed to reduce tick habitat. Discourage deer from grazing near your yard.

▪ Indoor pets can be at risk, too. You can bring ticks in on your clothing or body, and the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) prefers to live indoors.

The buzz

Have you ever wondered which cat breeds are largest and smallest? Compared to dogs, cats don’t vary a great deal in size: There might be a feline equivalent to the Chihuahua, but not to the Great Dane (lucky for us!). Among the heaviest breeds are Norwegian forest cats and Maine coons, weighing 7 to 22 pounds; Siberians, 10 to 20 pounds; Turkish vans, 7 to 19 pounds; and Savannahs, 20 pounds or more. Falling into the featherweight category are the singapura, 4 to 7 pounds; and the Cornish rex, Devon rex and Japanese bobtail, all weighing 6 to 9 pounds.

This story was originally published April 3, 2015 at 5:00 PM.