As unpleasant as they are to the sight, ticks are also unpleasant when it comes to your Boston Terrier’s health. What should you do about ticks bites on your Boston Terrier? How can you get rid of these tiny vampires lurking around and feeding on the blood of your Boston Terrier?
What Should I Do About Ticks Bites On My Boston Terrier?
When the tick bites are visible and some body parts of the tick remained on the skin of your Boston Terrier, it will appear reddish, a little swollen, and irritated. You may wash the spot with antiseptic or antibacterial soap, dry it, and apply an antibiotic ointment.
Ticks bites can be visible or not depending on the way the ticks fed on the skin of your Boston Terrier, and how they were removed. If the tick was removed properly and entirely, scrubbing an ointment application may be unnecessary. Nevertheless, you should still observe your Boston’s skin for signs of infection and irritation.
A tick bite can cause different illnesses in your Boston Terrier and even to you. Here’s what you should do about ticks bites on your Boston Terriers and prevent tick-related illnesses.
How to Prevent Boston Terrier From Getting Tick-Related Diseases
Ticks’ natural habitat is not on your dog’s or other animals’ skin. They are just there to feed themselves. If your Boston Terrier is unlucky, some diseases may be transmitted in his bloodstream through the tick’s saliva that contains bacteria, viruses, and other parasites. Ticks are normally found on tall grasses, marshes, and woods.
To prevent disease transmission and even tick accumulation on your Boston Terrier’s skin, here are some recommendations from Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer from AKC.
- Check your Boston Terrier’s skin after your daily walk, especially if you go through some grass and wood adventure. Look in between his toes, on his head, especially around the eyes, lips, and ears, and on his back area.
- If you have seen or felt a tiny bump on his skin, take a closer look. If it is a tick, remove it carefully and properly using a pair of tweezers. The faster you remove them from your Boston’s skin, the less likely that he will get infected by some tick-related diseases.
- Keep the grasses in your yard as short as possible. If you notice a tick infestation, you may want to use some safe insecticides from time to time to eliminate them. Make sure that you are protected while doing this, some ticks may hold on to your shirt or pants. Wear something where they can be seen easily.
- Have a regular check-up and tick test with your vet. This may prevent Lyme disease, one of the most common tick-transmitted diseases, from happening. Other possible diseases may also be prevented with a proper test and screening.
- Some tick-preventive products may also be applicable for your Boston Terrier. Consult your vet before applying anything or allowing your Boston to drink any medicine.
- Have your Boston Terrier vaccinated. A vaccine can prevent your Boston Terrier from acquiring Lyme disease and other related illnesses.
Other Tick-Related Illnesses
Aside from the one mentioned above, there are other tick-related diseases that your Boston Terrier can acquire from tick bites.
- Anemia
- Babesiosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Fever
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Tick paralysis
- Tularemia
Tick Treatment in Boston Terriers
If prevention wasn’t done or those icky ticks keep on coming back, here is a step-by-step tick treatment for Boston Terriers.
Step 1
Wear protective gloves to keep yourself safe from getting ticks bites. Instead of using your hands in picking the tick off of your Boston Terrier’s skin, get a sanitized tweezers or a tick-removal tool.
Step 2
Put the tweezers as close to your Boston Terrier’s skin as possible without pinching it, yet making sure that you can get the tick as a whole. Do not squeeze on the tick’s body as it may pop out and release some disease-causing substances onto your Boston’s skin.
Step 3
Once you hold the tick from the mouth, pull it straight out of your Boston’s skin slowly and carefully. Do not twist or turn it. If the tick stick too tight on your Boston’s skin, it is normal that some of his skin will come off with the tick. If there’s too much bleeding, apply some pressure on the area, and clean and wash it afterward.
Step 4
Once the tick is removed, do not pinch it or release the blood and pathogens from it. Flush it in the toilet if you have no plans of taking it to the vet for examinations. You can also put it in a jar with alcohol and keep it. In case some diseases arise, you may bring it with you and your Boston Terrier to the vet for identification.
Step 5
If the mouth or the head of the tick remained on the skin of your Boston Terrier, try pulling it again with the tweezers. If it cannot be removed, try scrubbing it away with some antiseptic liquid soap. However, these remaining parts cannot harm your Boston Terrier anymore. They will just fall off eventually.
Step 6
Clean the area where you removed the tick from. You can use some warm water and mild soap or salt to clean. Continue observing the skin of your dog and still look for some other culprits that might be hiding.
Do not apply petroleum jelly, nail polish, or even put fire near your Boston’s skin. These are all myths and may cause further damage in the end.
Related Questions
Can I Catch Lyme Disease From My Boston Terrier?
You cannot catch Lyme disease from your Boston Terrier. However, you can get some ticks from him or from places you go to and get bitten yourself. Lyme disease cannot be transferred from one dog to another, nor from a dog to humans. It can only be acquired through tick bites.
When Will the Symptoms of Tick-Related Diseases Appear in Boston Terrier After Getting Bitten?
Symptoms of the tick-related diseases may not be visible until weeks to 5 months after getting bitten by an infected or a carrier tick. Laboratory tests, such as a 4dx will help detect the presence of Lyme disease, with or without the symptoms.
Conclusion
Ticks infestation and the diseases along with them can be prevented from infecting your Boston Terrier. Vaccine, regular testing, and checking may help prevent and treat ticks and related illnesses. Knowing and having control where your Boston Terrier goes will be a great way in preventing ticks from living on his skin.
