Commentary
After a jaunt in my suburban backyard I noted a deer tick on my sock. While checking for additional ticks on me and the dog, a neighborhood free-range cat jumped the fence in search of a field mouse, mole or songbird before Lil Buddy gave chase.
The backyard incident was a stark reminder of the importance of year-round preventatives and my clothes as a potential fomite to carry ticks into the house. As far as the free-range cat is concerned, it is unlikely it is vaccinated, let alone provided protection available from feline-formulated acaricidal products. Like my clothes, the cat is a suspected tick fomite.
Rachel C. Smith, BS, and Lindsay A. Starkey DVM, PhD, DACVM, review the incidence and risk of tick parasitism in cats along with common tick-transmitted diseases and their relevance to feline health in this article.
Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, October 18, 2024. Link.
The best method for ensuring protection from tick-transmitted diseases is compliant, year-round use of feline-formulated acaricidal products along with managing lifestyle factors to minimize risk of tick exposure.”
INSIGHTS: It is important to fully understand the lifestyle of what owners call an indoor cat. Walking on a leash or spending time in a catio increases risks, as does living in a dog-and-cat household. Bottom line, a tick can easily take a ride from the trail, park or backyard into a cat’s indoor domain.
Image: Link.
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