As if HPAI isn’t enough, Asian long-horned tick ranges are expanding bringing the potential for an emerging infection risk from Theileria orientalis Ikeda. The protozoa invades the red and white blood cells of cattle creating clinical signs of disease like those of anaplasmosis including anemia, jaundice, weakness, and even death. Source: BEEF, June 6, 2024. Link. Producers … [Read more...]
Search Results for: tick
Asian longhorned tick now in 19 states
Asian longhorned ticks, described by USDA as “invasive pests that post a serious risk to livestock,” are now in 19 states. The CDC says that ALT have been found in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West … [Read more...]
PetIQ adds telehealth service for NextStar® customers seeking help with flea and tick prevention
Purchasers of the OTC flea and tick prevention brand NextStar® will now have 24/7 telehealth support available from PetIQ to address any flea, tick or parasite-related concerns and questions. Industry telehealth professionals <Link> will provide further education on year-long prevention and infestation solutions to NextStar customers at the time of … [Read more...]
Lone Star Tick added to label of revolution® PLUS (selamectin and sarolaner topical solution)
Complimentary Commercial Content The U.S. FDA recently approved a label extension for Revolution Plus (selamectin and sarolaner topical solution) for the treatment and control of tick infestations caused by Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick). It is good news for veterinary teams and cat owners alike. With this label extension, Revolution Plus, a simple-to-apply, … [Read more...]
The expanding threat of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases in shelter dogs
A recent study from the University of Georgia suggests that shelter dogs in the eastern U.S. may be disproportionately affected by the relentless spread of ticks and mosquitoes to new regions. Climate change is a factor as carriers expand their ranges. The resulting risks affect dogs and humans alike. Source: Vet Candy, September 2023. Link. The study underscores the vital … [Read more...]
New anxiety unlocked: Ticks can ‘fly’
Ticks can’t jump. But using the forces of static electricity, sometimes, the arachnids can soar through the air, a new study says. The scientists found the ticks could launch through the air when exposed to both positive and negative charges, suggesting that these natural forces overwhelm whichever charge the tick has on its own body.” Source: National Geographic, July 11, … [Read more...]
CAPC predicting increased Lyme disease risk, more ticks in more places
The Companion Animal Parasite Council’s 2023 Pet Parasite Forecast and corresponding 30-day Pet Parasite Forecast maps are alerting veterinarians and pet owners of impending outbreaks across the U.S. and Canada accompanied by expanded geographic incidences. The increase in Lyme prevalence can be attributed to land use, human population growth, urbanization and changes in … [Read more...]
Millennials plan to stick with online shopping even as stores rebound
While brick and mortar popularity seems to be returning, 73 percent of millennial survey participants said they plan to spend the same or more online this year. Twenty seven percent of them plan to spend significantly more online and less in-store this year, according to a survey from ESW. Staying abreast of how people behave in retail is an indication of how animal owners … [Read more...]
Vintage mastitis-causing pathogen on the uptick
Prototheca bovis has been linked to mastitis since 1952. However, within the last five years, its prevalence has significantly increased. It is a non-photosynthetic, yeast-like microalgae thrives in high humidity and plentiful damp organic matter. Similar to Staph aureus and mycoplasma, Prototheca is hard to detect, has no known cure and is contagious by intermittently … [Read more...]
Sticky work environments retain veterinary professionals
Sponsored Content Wendy Hauser, DVM and founder of Peak Veterinary Consulting, provides perspective and potential solutions to the challenges of retention and talent shortages many veterinary hospitals are experiencing. Private practice is often a stagnant career path . . . where, as tenure advances the perception that individual’s efforts make a difference decrease, job … [Read more...]
Asian longhorned ticks and Theileria: What you need to know
The Asian longhorned tick is the only known vector for Ikeda in the U.S and is known to be present in 11 states. Theileria orientalis (Ikeda genotype), Ikeda for short, can be fatal to cattle. A solid tick control program is one of the better things a producer can implement to minimize the risk of the Asian longhorned tick and Ikeda and prevent their introduction into the herd … [Read more...]
Client sticker shock (video series)
Complimentary Sponsored Content We’ve heard about sticker shock in the context of judging a client’s pocketbook for years. Recently, several sources have analyzed and shared cost of care information associated with pet ownership. The intent of these studies is to help veterinary teams understand the costs of caring for pets and to help them proactively discuss costs with pet … [Read more...]
Identifying and caring for tick bites on dogs
Victoria Arnold shares information about identifying and caring for tick bites on dogs. The article includes links to Companion Animal Parasite Council and other helpful resources. Tick bites should not make your dog itch.” Source: Dogster, June 3, 2022. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider this article for social media and newsletters to reinforce tick risk education efforts. … [Read more...]
Asian longhorned ticks are on the move
The Asian longhorned tick reached 17 states by last fall. In the United States, the tick has been found in or near counties with large horse, cattle and sheep populations. They do not discriminate however and will use a human or a pet as a host, just the same as livestock or wildlife. The Asian longhorned tick is known to carry the virulent Theileria orientalis Ikeda … [Read more...]
Dr Jen the Vet talks rabies, ticks and horses for THJ Season 2 premiere
The Horsemanship Journey is a monthly video series that streams on demand through the THJ website. Launched in 2021, a new episode is released each month. Episodes are about one hour long and are advertising free. Every episode has 3 parts: Part 1 features an amazing story about horses and people. Part 2 is the informational segment with top equine professionals and … [Read more...]
New study says opossums DO NOT like eating ticks
From websites to publications to social media, the idea that opossums help save humans from tick-borne ailments is broadly proliferated. Bret Collier, PhD refutes the tick vacuum designation citing study methods from a 2009 study versus a 2021 Hennessy and Hild study of wild opossum stomach contents. Source: Field and Stream, January 5, 2022. Link. INSIGHTS: Like the … [Read more...]
Wild pigs, a ticking time bomb on U.S. pork industry
Feral hogs pose a serious threat to the health of the U.S. pork industry specifically if African swine fever were to infect and spread in wild herds. There is no vaccine nor cure and the disease has a long track record of crossing international borders and wiping out billions of pigs. Source: PORK, June 29, 2021. Link. Wild pigs have exploded in numbers across the U.S., … [Read more...]
Lyme-carrying ticks live longer. What?
Research reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology reveals black-legged ticks infected with the Lyme disease-causing microbe thrive in subfreezing weather and can be active, even in winter. Laura Ferguson, PhD, and Amal El Nabbout reported their findings from working with ticks over three winters. Infected ticks in fluctuating … [Read more...]
Asian longhorned tick found in Georgia
The Asian longhorned tick, an invasive species, was recently positively confirmed on a cow in north central Georgia. The ticks can cause severe anemia and tick fever in livestock. If an animal has one tick it’s probably our common Lone Star Tick. If a cow [or other animal] shows up with hundreds of ticks on it, we’re going to be very suspicious that we’re looking at an Asian … [Read more...]
Ticks hide everywhere!
Need we say more? Source: I Love Veterinary Medicine, Facebook, August 7, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Tick cases on the rise. Lyme vaccines omitted, questioned.
Entomologists have noted the tick population has climbed 15 percent since last year, making Lyme disease more prevalent this year according to CNet’s associate writer Katie Teague. She shares tick information for consumers, including information specific to Ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease. NOTE Teague's article does not identify Lyme vaccines as an option for dogs. She does … [Read more...]
Ticks suck. A guide to identify them and avoid bites.
Tick-borne diseases are at an all-time high. About 50,000 cases are reported each year and far more go unreported. Sheila Eldred shares information for humans to help prevent tick bites. Source: NPR, July 4, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Bobcats, Lone Star ticks, bobcat fever
University of Georgia experts are urging cat owners across the state to proactively protect their pets due to cases of cytauxzoonosis, or bobcat fever, caused by the tick-transmitted protozoan parasite Cytauxzoon felis. The infection spike is centered in a five-county area covering approximately 1,900 square miles. However, male bobcats are known to range up to 60 miles which … [Read more...]
The 3 Rs of tick-borne diseases
Reports from colleagues around midwestern U.S. states indicate tick populations are thriving. Tick distributions are dynamic and ever-changing, and practice protocols often need to evolve to meet the growing threat ticks pose to pet health, writes Holly Morss, LVT. Morss discusses teaching staff members to address tick borne disease using the 3-R’s: Review the topic of … [Read more...]
Drafting heifer contracts that stick
Many handshake agreements have blown up over misunderstandings on what was said or what was agreed upon. Penn State University dairy Extension specialists recommend a full contract that sets a comprehensive fee for the grower to raise heifers for a specific length of time. Well-written legal contracts protect both parties in a business relationship by laying out the terms and … [Read more...]
Racing colostrum’s ticking clock
Calving season is here. Colostrum must be a top priority. We learn more each year about this important and beneficial compound. The ability to absorb antibodies steadily declines over the first few hours of life. The old rule of thumb is that calves must ingest colostrum within the first 24 hours of life, but actually, the percent of antibodies absorbed decreases dramatically … [Read more...]
Lyme disease ticks produce antibiotic that protects them from human skin bacteria
Vet Candy shares new research findings that help answer some questions about Ixodes scapularis, the deer tick. Puzzled by the ticks’ immune system, which keeps them safe from contracting pathogens themselves, a research team led by Univerisity of California’s San Francisco's Seemay Chou identified a natural pathogen of ticks and established a mechanism for it. “Ticks pass … [Read more...]
True or False? Ticks can jump.
Stephanie Lantry, DVM, shares how ticks get around and how they find and attach to their hosts. They are pretty handy at getting onto a new host but they do not jump and without wings, they cannot fly. Source: PetMd, May 8, 2020. Link. INSIGHTS: This is a good reminder for animal health pros to monitor the parasite prevalence maps available at PetDiseaseAlerts.org … [Read more...]
Ticks bite, suck, drink and spit
Ticks are waking up across most of the U.S. They require blood meals to survive, to develop to the next stage in their life cycle and to reproduce, shares Edward M. Wakem, DVM. It is primarily, though not exclusively, through blood feeding that a tick can harm its host by acquiring disease-causing organisms from one infected host and transmitting them to another host. Ticks … [Read more...]
Flea and tick wars: the time is NOW
Leigh Hofmeister, DVM, provides a short history of flea and tick challenges before the modern-day preventatives hit the marketplace. She compares oral and topical forms and reinforces the need for clients to use them to protect their pets. Let’s try to keep the flea and tick wars between brands and not return the battleground to the environment versus the pet. Reports in … [Read more...]