Tick talk: How to protect yourself as the weather warms up

As Spring tick season takes-off, a woman battling Lyme disease discusses the big issues the tiny parasite has caused her.

Spring is here, which means it’s time to start checking for ticks.

While Nova Scotia doesn’t have a “tick season” – the risk is there year-round – ticks are more active in the spring and the problem seems to be getting worse.

“It’s not just that there are more ticks, more of them are infected with different pathogens,” said Mount Alliston University biology professor Vett Lloyd.

“We’re seeing a lot more anaplasma now. That’s particularly nasty … We’re seeing more babesia.”

The risk for Lyme disease is high across Nova Scotia, but the other Atlantic provinces are tracking more activity too.

“New Brunswick is seeing a lot more ticks. P.E.I. is starting to recover more ticks. We even get the odd one from Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Lloyd.

Lloyd recommends checking for ticks whenever you’ve spent time outdoors, and to use a bug spray with tick repellent for added protection.

Living with Lyme disease

Even with precautions, ticks can go unnoticed, which makes diagnosing tick-borne illnesses difficult.

Donna Lugar of Bedford, N.S., has lived with Lyme disease for about 15 years.

“I had steadily progressing symptoms and nothing made sense,” she said. “I’d get the occasional diagnosis that would be just for one of the symptoms, so I did what doctors absolutely hate people doing, but I Googled.”

Lugar said she is doing better now, but she struggled for a long time.

“My children were young when basically I was at my sickest, and I really couldn’t be involved with their lives too much,” said Lugar. “Sometimes I was in my bedroom with the drapes drawn and lights off because I had scent sensitivities and light sensitivities.”

Lugar is the vice chair of the newly-formed Nova Scotia Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Association and she also runs a monthly support group.

“You want to be able to talk to somebody that understands and can appreciate what you’re going through, even though everybody’s different, and you can’t compare apples to apples with Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Everybody is different,” she said.

Lugar said some people are able to fight the disease better than others but there are changes anybody can make that will help.

“You just keep on doing what you can to try to improve overall health and basically boost your immune system,” she said. “That’s the big one. Make sure your immune system can actually fight whatever is going on.”

Lugar said people with pre-existing conditions could see worse problems because the disease typically exacerbates health problems.

Recently, a petition was tabled in the Nova Scotia Legislature outlining several initiatives the association would like to see, including a dedicated Lyme clinic in Nova Scotia.

Pet prevention

Pets can also be infected tick-borne diseases.

“I must have missed a tick when I did my tick check after a hike in the woods. That was just enough,” said registered veterinary technician Candice Dystant with PetFocus Veterinary Hospital Bedford South.

Dystant’s dog tested positive for anaplasmosis. He was asymptomatic, and she only learned he had it when she took him to a blood donation drive for the animal blood bank, which screens for illnesses during the donation process. She said there have already been positive cases of tick-borne illnesses at the clinic this spring.

“It can affect anybody, even a veterinary professional where we’re up to date on our tick prevention,” she said. “It’s just that fast.”

Dystant said dogs should be on tick prevention all year-round, especially in Nova Scotia.

“With our ticks, they can be active in the winters.”

She said prevention also comes down to knowing the place where you’re walking or a hiking.

“Long, tall grass is a really popular place for them to be in, but the ticks have become so much more active in Nova Scotia. They’re kind of all around. You can go and take a walk on the sidewalk and you can pick up a tick accidentally if your dog just goes and sniffs a bush.”

Dystant said it’s important to do a tick check when you get back home, focused on your pet’s ears, eyes and paws, and checking through their fur.

There is another symptom to watch for if you think your pet may have Lyme disease.

“One of the most common side effects is actually limping dogs,” said Dystant. “It’s intermittent limping, so it can be on the front leg and maybe it could go to the back leg.”

If you do find a tick on yourself or your pet, you can use the free eTick.ca service to identify it within approximately 24 hours.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page