Discovered a Useless Tick on Your Cat? Here is What to Do

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Dr. Lauren Demos (DVM)

Veterinarian

The data is present and up-to-date in accordance with the newest veterinarian analysis.

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All of us love our cats, however generally they create unwelcome guests into our properties. Ticks can connect themselves to cats and trigger an array of well being points, together with Lyme illness. Understanding the way to safely take away a tick out of your cat and eliminate it’s important. On this fast information, you’ll get clear directions on the way to take care of a lifeless tick in your cat and the way to forestall them altogether.

What Are Ticks and Why Are They Harmful for Cats?

Ticks are small bugs that feed on the blood of mammals. Cats can get ticks in the event that they spend an excessive amount of time outdoors, particularly in wooded or grassy areas. Ticks are harmful as a result of they will transmit quite a lot of illnesses to cats, together with Lyme illness, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain noticed fever. It’s additionally attainable for ticks (lifeless or alive) to transmit illnesses to people.

In case your cat will get a tick, there are a number of telltale indicators that it is best to look out for together with extreme grooming, lethargy, lack of urge for food, a change in habits, and a basic change in look. Ticks are mostly discovered on the pinnacle, neck, and ears.

What To Do If You Discovered A Tick On Your Cat

1. Figuring out a Tick on Your Cat

Earlier than you try to take away the lifeless tick out of your cat, you’ll first have to correctly establish it and ensure it’s simply that and never one other frequent cat pest (like a lifeless flea). There are various several types of cat pests (and ticks) which have various life cycles, hosts, and signs. These will differ relying on what kind of pest or tick your cat has. You could possibly establish the bug based mostly on its location, colour, dimension, or different bodily traits. The most typical varieties of ticks discovered on cats are the American canine tick, the brown canine tick, the Lone Star tick, and the Deer tick.

2. Collect Your Gear

Earlier than you try to take away a tick out of your cat, you’ll want to organize a bit. To take away the tick out of your cat, you will want the next objects:

3. Eradicating the Tick from Your Cat

First, fill a small bowl or container with isopropyl alcohol. Subsequent, separate the fur, and be certain that it isn’t a pores and skin tag. As soon as you possibly can see the tick, seize it as near your cat’s pores and skin with the tweezers as attainable. However don’t squeeze the tick – you possibly can push elements of the tick’s physique into the cat’s pores and skin for those who squeeze too arduous.

To take away it, simply use light stress. Afterward, place the tick within the isopropyl alcohol or flush it down the bathroom.

4. Treating the Space After Elimination

After you have got eliminated the tick out of your cat, you’ll want to clear the world. Doing so will assist to cut back your cat’s likelihood of contracting an an infection. Apply an ointment or one other disinfectant to the tick bites in your cat’s pores and skin and monitor the world over the following week to make sure that it heals okay. You’ll be able to then use a clear bandage or sterile dressing to cowl the world (significantly if there was bleeding). Whereas monitoring over the following week, look out for swelling, redness, heat, or pus. Should you see any of those indicators, you’ll contact your vet instantly.

5. Name Your Vet to Take away the Tick

You can even take your canine to the vet, if the cat has a couple of tick or if it appears to have an an infection. A vet is educated to take away ticks and might be ready to take action extra safely than you’ll. A vet will even have the ability to correctly establish the kind of tick and assess your cat for the chance of contracting a illness. Lastly, your vet can prescribe any mandatory vaccinations in case your cat has been contaminated by the bug. Bear in mind, ticks may cause an array of illnesses in cats, a few of which can be life-threatening.

Ideas for Protecting Your Cat Tick-Free

Ticks might be extremely harmful to cats and might trigger a spread of diseases, together with Lyme illness. Whereas there is no such thing as a assured option to utterly forestall ticks from making their means onto your cat, there are a number of steps you possibly can take to assist scale back the possibilities of it occurring.

Frequently Test Your Cat for Ticks

In case your cat has been spending a number of time outdoors or for those who preserve discovering ticks on them, you will need to test for ticks pretty commonly. To do that, it is best to begin at its head and work your means down. A great place to start out is by checking the ears. Attempt utilizing a cotton swab or a small brush to fastidiously comb via the ears. Subsequent, transfer onto the neck and behind the ears.

Whereas checking behind the ears is simple, you’ll have to bend your cat right into a sitting or mendacity place as a way to test the neck completely. You could even want to make use of a magnifying glass or a flea/tick comb as a way to correctly test your cat. Subsequent, be certain to test the cat’s again, insides of its arms/legs, and alongside its tail.

Tick Prevention Methods for Your Cat

There are a number of methods you possibly can assist scale back the possibilities of your cat getting a tick. Tick and flea medicines are place to start out. Whereas there are a variety of various manufacturers, probably the most generally really useful are Frontline and Advantix. Each of those are utilized as soon as each month and are very efficient at killing ticks and fleas.

Frontline is rather less efficient at killing fleas and can also be a bit dearer. Should you solely have one cat, it will not be value investing within the dearer product – a easy tick collar could do exactly high-quality. If in case you have two or extra cats (or commonly take care of tick points), it’s in all probability higher to go together with the dearer or long-term merchandise. Observe that collars ought to be positioned on the neck of your cat – not ever on their legs (sure, some house owners truly do that).

To stop your cat from nibbling on the collar, trim the surplus with a pair of shears. Additionally, pay attention to indicators of discomfort corresponding to extreme scratching or irritation. You may additionally wish to contemplate tick baths as effectively. Listed below are a number of different tick prevention strategies.

Sprays

Tick spray is a topical medicated software that kills ticks shortly whereas offering residual safety. These sprays can be utilized between shampoos or flea/tick dips. They will also be very helpful for felines who spend a number of time in wooded areas. Sprays can be utilized on the cat’s pores and skin, so it’s necessary to make use of warning upon software. Earlier than spraying your cat’s face, be sure to learn the label.

Shampoos

A shampoo containing medicated elements can kill ticks by direct contact. It is a cost-effective, however labor-intensive option to shield your cat from ticks throughout the hotter months. Observe that the tick-killing elements received’t final for so long as an oral or spot-on remedy. So, to say, you’ll need to repeat this course of roughly each two weeks. And for those who, like many cat mother and father, have a feline that’s “anti-bath”, this could be a little bit of a problem.

Spot-on (Topical) Remedies

A spot-on, over-the-counter remedy can simply be prescribed by your vet. You can even go to your native pet store or on-line to search out these remedies. These medicines can preserve parasites away for so long as a month. These medicines might be extraordinarily efficient, however it’s worthwhile to watch out which one you select – so all the time fastidiously learn any labels. Your vet ought to be consulted for those who’re ever uncertain about making use of a spot-on to your cat’s pores and skin, particularly in case your cat is below 6 months outdated or has any pores and skin situations or allergic reactions.

Oral Medication

Discuss to your vet to find out for those who assume your cat can profit from a tick capsule. A once-a-month or quarterly capsule has the benefit that it doesn’t should be utilized to your cat and sometimes works for a very long time, which might prevent time and the effort of making an attempt to use one thing to your cat’s pores and skin.

Powders

Tick powders are additionally an efficient option to repel ticks out of your cat. Earlier than you employ the powder, guarantee that the product has been labeled for cats to make sure that it’s efficient in opposition to each ticks and fleas. Observe that if inhaled, this high-quality powder may cause irritation to the lungs and mouth.

So, use small quantities of the product and rub it gently into the pores and skin. Powders ought to by no means be utilized to your cat’s eyes or face. And within the hotter months, you’ll probably have to re-apply extra incessantly. Powders will also be used within the areas the place your cat is sleeping, in addition to in every other locations in your own home that your cat frequents.

Tick Dips

Dips are concentrated chemical compounds that should be diluted in water. After making use of a dip product, you’ll have to rinse your cat off. Dips might be extraordinarily robust, so all the time learn the labels earlier than making use of (some could require sure steps after software). For cats below 4 months outdated, this will not be the most suitable choice as it might be a bit too robust on your kitten, so all the time ask your veterinarian about different therapy choices.

Hold Your Cat Indoors

Whereas utilizing tick and flea preventatives can go a great distance towards holding your cat secure from ticks, you also needs to take different steps to make sure your cat is tick-free. Protecting your cat indoors is an efficient first step because it reduces its publicity to ticks.

Should you should take your cat outdoors, attempt to preserve it on a leash (and solely outdoor for a restricted time) in order that it received’t have the ability to run off into grassy, woody, tick-ridden areas. It’s additionally necessary to commonly groom your cat to make sure ticks don’t have a spot to stay. Ticks stay outdoor in open fields, beneath properties, and in sheds, garages, and different areas the place they will make contact with hosts. So, the extra you retain your cat away from these areas, the higher.

Test Your Cat’s Bedding

Taking the time to commonly test your cat’s bedding and outside areas can go a great distance in direction of holding your cat secure from ticks. This may be finished with an intensive visible inspection each week or by utilizing a specialised bedding checker.

Should you discover that your cat’s bedding has ticks, you possibly can take away the ticks and sanitize the bedding or just pitch all of it collectively. Bear in mind, generally ticks will even have larvae close by that may should be killed as effectively. To do that, you’ll want to scrub and dry the bedding on excessive warmth settings after which examine it once more earlier than permitting your cat to make use of it.

Get Your Cat Vaccinated

Vaccination can also be an efficient step you could take to maintain your cat from changing into sick within the occasion that it’s bitten by a tick. Whereas most cats are vaccinated in opposition to this illness particularly, they’re not normally vaccinated in opposition to different tick-borne illnesses (like Lyme illness, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain noticed fever, and tularemia).

Wrapping Issues Up

Should you discover a lifeless tick in your cat, it’s necessary to take away it and test for others. Additionally regulate your cat for indicators of illness and an infection and take your cat to the vet if mandatory. Protecting your cat secure and tick-free is extremely necessary. Whereas ticks might be extremely harmful to cats, they are often prevented with common checking and anti-tick medicines. There are a number of methods you possibly can assist preserve ticks away out of your cat, together with holding them indoors, checking them commonly, and holding their bedding clear. With the suitable preventatives and the suitable precautions, you possibly can assist be certain that your cat is secure and wholesome.

Featured Picture Credit score: Topolszczak, Shutterstock