Pet owners warned of ticks transmitting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

A Rocky Mountain wood tick (left) and American dog tick (right). (Source: Public Health Agency of Canada)

Grand Erie Public Health is urging pet owners to be extra vigilant about tick removal after Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever was found in animals who had recently visited Long Point.

“RMSF can be life-threatening in both humans and animals if not treated early,” the health unit wrote in a social media post Sunday.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, like Lyme disease, is a bacterial illness spread through the bite of an infected tick. It is found in several species, including the American dog tick, the brown dog tick and the Rocky Mountain wood tick.

The most common symptoms are fever, headache and rash.

Medication can be prescribed once symptoms start but, if left untreated, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is potentially fatal.

Preventing tick bites

Tips to reduce the risk of tick bites:

• Avoid tick-infested areas
• Wear light-coloured long sleeves and pants outdoors, as well as closed-toe shoes
• Tuck pant legs into socks before walking through long grass
• Use insect repellents with DEET or Icaridin on skin and clothing
• Conduct tick checks after outdoor activities, feel for bumps or look for tiny dark spots (ticks can be as small as a sesame seed)
• Take a shower or bath within two hours of being outdoors
• Use tick prevention products on pets

Removing and disposing of ticks

Ticks need to be removed within 24 hours to prevent infection.

Here’s what to do if you find one:

• Use tweezers or a specialized tick remover to grab hold of its body as close to the skin as possible
• Pull it straight out
• Apply antiseptic ointment on the bite
• Write down where you found the tick on your body, as well as well as the time and place you may have picked it up
• Call your doctor if you feel unwell, are unable to remove the tick yourself or if it has buried itself too deeply into the skin

Do not:

• Use petroleum jelly or other products
• Burn the tick
• Crush or damage the tick while trying to remove it

Experts recommend killing the tick by drowning them in rubbing alcohol or putting them in the freezer for several hours. Once dead, they can be thrown into the garbage.

Physical symptoms

If you have been bitten by a tick, here are some of the symptoms to watch out for:

• Circular red rash around the bite
• Fever
• Chills
• Swollen glands
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Weakness
• Dry cough
• Joint pain
• Muscle ache
• Stiff neck

Reporting ticks

If you find a tick, on yourself or your pet, take a photo and submit it to etick.ca for expert identification within 24 hours. An email will be sent with the results.

You can also check out the public tick map for other confirmed sightings.