By Dr. Victoria Bennett, Veterinary Advisor, CNIB Guide Dogs
The presence of ticks and the incidence of tick-borne diseases from tick bites is across Canada. Currently, Southern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes are being hit the hardest. Climate change experts expect the range and number of tick species will increase, resulting in significantly more cases of tick-borne diseases affecting humans, dogs, horses, cats, etc. Lyme disease is only one of many tick-borne diseases.
CNIB Guide Dogs is proud to participate in the Canadian Canine Lifetime (Lyme) Study. The research project is following a group of puppies (and their owners) from high risk and emerging risk Lyme areas across Canada. The information gathered over the lifetime of the puppies and pet owners will increase our understanding of Lyme disease (along with other infectious and non-infectious diseases), and ultimately keep Canadian pets and owners safer. Each year, we submit blood samples for a select number of our dogs in the program and report any ticks that have been removed. We also complete an annual survey.
Visit petsandticks.com to learn more about ticks, identification, removal, tick diseases, tick maps and research data. Most importantly, you can and should report all ticks found on your animals via the Pet Tick Tracker. You'll also find a link to report ticks found on people. Knowing which tick species and where they were found are key pieces of information for ensuring humans and animals are protected from tick-borne diseases.