Be Tick Aware - Part Two

With Frontline launching their national campaign to raise awareness of ticks during September, what better man to support it than celebrity animal lover Bill Oddie.

Both his daughters own dogs and because he understands the dangers of ticks and fleas, he was willing to raise awareness of the campaign in order to help both them and the millions of dog owners out there. He has also been on the receiving end of ticks too, so knows how vital it is to seek help, both medically for humans and veterinary for dogs, as soon as possible.

During the evening in question, he was stretching out in front of the TV, when his wife spotted a tick under his arm. As anyone would do, he panicked because he had just finished reading an article on Lyme Disease and knew how dangerous it was. Luckily, the tick was removed and Bill suffered no further symptoms. However, he believes it's an issue that could be neglected if owners are unaware and recommends people get into the habit of checking their dogs everyday for these parasites after walking.

According to the NHS, the most common symptom of this disease in people is a pink or red circular rash, which develops around the area of the bite, between three to 30 days after being bitten. As well as this, people can also experience flu-like symptoms. If it is left untreated, further problems can occur months or years after, which include muscle pain, joint pain, or neurological symptoms such as temporarily paralysis of the the facial muscles. Cases in humans have increased by 300 per cent since 2000.

There is no vaccine for people who contract Lyme Disease and while America introduced one in 2002, it was later withdrawn due to concerns over side effects.

Ticks are also a problem when it comes to travelling abroad with your pet. The most updated Pet Travel Scheme rules were relaxed and so it is no longer mandatory for pets entering the UK to be treated for ticks. Therefore this could lead to an increase in tick-borne diseases, such as Babesiosis or Ehrlichiosis.

Babesiosis is more common in Europe, Africa and Asia and is a disease of the red blood cells, caused by infection. Meanwhile, Ehrlichiosis is found in Europe, the USA and Africa, and is disease of white blood cells, caused by infection. Consequently, it is vital that dogs who have travelled abroad to be treated for ticks before they return to the UK. This will then help to prevent the introduction of European tick species and the spread of the above diseases.

When travelling home from a holiday in Majorca yesterday, I was waiting at the check in desk with my sister and friend when two people took a dog out of a carry case and walk off through the airport. It certainly made the wait at the desk a bit more interesting!

My grandma has a Lhasa Apso called Daisy and so I asked her a few questions about ticks:

Are you aware of the dangers that ticks pose for both animals and people?
Yes, these parasites will suck the blood of animals and people and can carry infectious diseases. I check Daisy after I have taken her for a walk to make sure there are none on her. We tend to stick to main paths when we're out, but if I took her to areas of woodland or grassy areas, I think I would be more worried about ticks because there is probably a larger population there. We also have foxes and other wildlife in our one acre garden, so I always check her when Daisy comes in from there too.

How often do you apply Frontline to Daisy? 
I apply this to Daisy every three months, which is what my vet advised me to do. I have also used this product on other breeds of dog I have owned, including a Springer Spaniel, King Charles Cavalier and Shih Tzu. 

Have any of your dogs ever suffered from ticks?
I had a Springer Spaniel, Sherry who had a tick in the 1980s. We were in Norfolk for a weekend away, when I noticed something strange on Sherry. It looked like a growth, but we rushed her to the emergency vet in Norfolk to get it checked out. The vet immediately said that it was a tick and it lucky that we hadn't tried to pull it off ourselves because it would have left the mouth hooked into the skin, which could have become infected. The vet treated her and managed to extract the tick from between her ear and her neck. From then on, I have used Frontline to help protect my dogs, including Daisy. (Pictured below).

Frontline Spot On can help you prevent ticks because it is able to kill them through contact and not through your dog's bloodstream. From where you apply it, it spreads all over your pet's body and concentrates on the sebaceous glands of the skin (microscopic glands which are attached to the hair follicles). This helps to prolong its efficiency - even after bathing, swimming and grooming.

Ensure you read and follow the dosage instructions of Frontline and to ensure your dog is fully protected, it's best to apply every four weeks. Owners can even use this on puppies as long as they are more than eight weeks of age and weigh more than 2kg.

*Frontline Spot On are raising awareness this September to protect your dog against ticks. For more information on these parasites and how to prevent them, visit: uk.frontline.com or @BeTickAware on Twitter.

Be Tick Aware - Part One

Man's best friend deserves the very best care that their owners can provide, and that includes outside the home too. This September, Frontline Spot On has launched a campaign to help keep dogs protected from ticks.

There are 20 species of these nasty little parasites found throughout the UK, which latch onto and feed off dogs, as well as cats. They can't fly or jump, instead they travel by walking on the ground or are transported by birds or animals, such as deer. When an animal or person walks by, the tick will drop or hook onto their new host with special hooks on their legs.

Most people have only seen a tick when it has ballooned on a cat or dog after feeding for a few days and full of blood. However, they are actually very small and the females are only the size of a sesame seed (about 3mm). Once a female tick has had its fill, it will swell from its original size up to 11mm - a huge difference! The males are a tiny bit smaller than the females.

Ticks can be found in woodland, moorland, heathland and grassland. As well as being found in the countryside, they are also prominent in urban parks and gardens. Some areas of the UK known to have high tick populations include: Exmoor, the New Forest, South Downs, Lake District, Yorkshire Moors, Scottish Highlands, Thetford Forest and parts of Wiltshire and Berkshire.

While ticks are present all year round, they are most likely to bite your pet from February to September. Therefore, dog owners should still remain vigilant,even when the weather gets cooler, in order to protect their pets from the dangers of this pesky parasite.

Although all breeds of dogs can attract ticks, long-haired breeds are more at risk. This is because the ticks can latch onto their long fur from the ground and crawl onto the skin to feed. They are also able to hide in their fur, making it difficult for the dog's owner to spot them. They are also mistaken for growths/warts due to the shape and size when fed.

When it comes to carrying infectious diseases, which affect both people and animals, ticks are only second to mosquitoes. To pass on disease, ticks must first feed from the infected host. After this, they will then fall to the ground and develop into the next stage of their life cycle, before finding another animal to feed off of.

One of the diseases they can carry is Lyme disease. This is an inflammatory problem caused by infection. Cases of this in dogs are difficult to diagnose, but the symptoms include loss of appetite, depression, arthritic pain and lameness. While this does generally respond well to antibiotics, if undiagnosed or untreated it can cause serious kidney damage.

• Find out more about why celebrity Bill Oddie is fronting this campaign, the dangers ticks can have on people, why owners should be careful when travelling abroad with their pets and read why my Grandma always uses Frontline on her Lhasa Apso, Daisy in part two of my posts about the Frontline campaign. 

*Frontline Spot On are raising awareness this September to protect your dog against ticks. For more information on these parasites and how to prevent them, visit: uk.frontline.com or @BeTickAware on Twitter. 

9/11 - The Heroic Animals Who Helped

Today was a sad occasion because sadly it was the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America. Across the world people marked this sad 12 year anniversary where almost 3,000 people lost their lives with a minutes silence at 8:46 local time (12:46GMT) when the first plane hit the North Tower, when the second plane hit the South Tower and when each tower fell.

I can remember where I was quite vividly when the attacks happened. I was at home from school (I would have been 11-years-old at the time) and I was in the lounge of our house with my mum and sister. I cannot describe how I felt when I saw the Towers collapsing to the ground, but time seemed to stop. I also cannot imagine how anyone else must have felt at the time, especially those who had relatives in the building, it is simply too horrific to comprehend.

However, this post looks at another aspect about the 9/11 attacks - those animals who bravely risked their lives to help their owners, or simply people they had never met, get out of that terrible situation alive.

One such dog was Roselle. On the day of the attacks, computer sales manager Michael Hingson was at his desk on the 78th floor of the North Tower when the American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the other side of the building, just 18 floors above. The only reason he lived to tell his story was because of his lifesaving guide dog, Roselle.

This wonderful yellow labrador calmly guided her blind owner down 1,463 steps and out of the building. Just as they got out, the South Tower collapsed. However, Roselle was not going to be taken away from her duty. She remained completely focused on the task ahead and as the debris and dust fell, she found a subway station and led them both underground to safety.

Another guide dog who helped rescue his owner that day was Salty. His owner Omar Rivera was on the 71st floor, when all of a sudden he heard a huge noise. The building shook and Salty started running back and forth along the floor. Omar was unsure what to do, but Salty came running up to him and sat next to Omar anxiously. He realised that Salty was trying to communicate with him and that he must find a way to get out.

They made their way to the stairs, which understandably was packed with a lot of very scared people. As they made their way down, it started getting very cramped and there wasn't enough room for Omar and Salty to walk side by side down the stairs. After a while, Omar decided to let Salty free. Salty continued walking down, but then decided he couldn't leave his owner and came back for Omar. Just five minutes after exiting the building, Omar heard it collapse.

"Trust is the most important thing in a relationship with a guide dog. They give everything they have for almost nothing, just for love."

Both Salty and Roselle were awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal on the 5th March, 2002. This was for "remaining loyally at the side of their blind owners, courageously leading them down more than 70 floors of the World Trade Center and to a place of safety following the terrorist attack on New York on 11 September 2001."

Ten thousand emergency workers helped to rescue people trapped in the wreckage and more than 300 of those heroes were dogs. There was a variety of breeds at Ground Zero and all were trained in a different area to help save those trapped under the rubble and debris. What makes these heroes so special is that they were the ones who went where it was impossible for the human workers to go.

After the attacks, a New York Police Department German Shepherd, called Apollo received a medal on behalf of all the search and rescue dogs at the World Trade Center. 

It didn't just end there though. After 9/11, a New York based pet therapy organisation called the Good Dog Foundation stepped in to help. Created by Rachel McPherson, it worked with the families who had lost loved ones in the devastation, those who had lost their jobs and also members of impacted communities. The ASPCA and the Red Cross also helped with the programme. 

The Foundation accompanied those who had lost loved ones to the site where the World Trade Center had once stood. The dogs were so comforting to so many families and in a way, they knew that there was no judgement. They could open up to the dogs in a way they wouldn't be able to open up to members of their family. 

• For more information about the memorial for 9/11, visit www.911memorial.org
• To find out more about the Good Dog Foundation, visit http://thegooddogfoundation.org

These dogs deserve to be remembered just as much as their heroic handlers and other emergency workers, because they put their own lives on the line to help humans in their hour of need.