Tick exposure on lockdown

The veterinary profession is doing an amazing job of continuing pet health care while keeping risk to staff and clients to a minimum during the COVID-19 outbreak. Part of this care is continued routine parasite prevention treatment for cats and dogs, which remains vital. Many pet owners, though, may not consider ticks a risk while we are all under lockdown. Ironically, as an outdoor parasite risk, the odds of exposure to ticks are becoming higher as a result of lockdown and the time of year.

One of the things that is keeping us sane in our lockdown routines is our daily hour of exercise, which for many of us will include walking our dogs. New Government clarification states that we can drive short distances to enjoy this brief bonanza of daily outdoor activity and many of us will seek out green leafy areas to walk in as a break from our indoor lives. Such activity, however, will bring us into contact with ticks, which will be starting to peak in their activity due to near perfect weather conditions. Months of persistent rain followed by wall-to-wall sunshine has led to high humidity levels, with rapid growth of grass and seasonal plant life. Even if humidity levels drop off in a prolonged dry spell, lush vegetation will mean lots of questing sites for ticks and microclimates they can remain active in. We may be tempted to walk off paths with our dogs or be forced to briefly, to ensure social distancing, and dogs off leads will almost certainly explore in the undergrowth, being exposed to ticks as a result.