Tick season in full swing

Following a mild winter, the tick population in Iowa has been on the rise and poses a threat to you and your furry friends. A local veterinarian reminds families to protect themselves and pets.

David Larson, a veterinary physician at Newton Animal Clinic, said he conducts surveys and keeps tracks of dogs who have had ticks that carried Lyme disease.

“They’re bad right now, and we have seen several cases of Lyme disease in the last 12 months,” Larson said.

Larson said those cases were dogs who were exposed and at high risk. Larson recommended topical or tablets for pets, such as, Frontline, and to use them all year round.

“Our winter was mild and any time it’s above freezing there is a risk of deer ticks,” Larson said. “We didn’t have much of a winter and that’s why it’s important to keep control year round.”

There have been 27 cases of Lyme disease confirmed in Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Deer ticks are black-legged and are particularly important to recognize because they can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The adult tick is not highly noticeable — the legs and body are uniformly dark brown or black and unfed adults are slightly smaller than a sesame seed.

Deer tick nymphs are even smaller, and these immature parasites are the primary transmitters of Lyme disease because they’re harder to detect, the Iowa Department of Public Health states.

Most ticks prefer to live in dense vegetation like forests with leaf litter or prairies with tall grasses.

The health department offers these tips for avoiding tick bites:

• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter

• Walk in the center of trails

• Check your belongings thoroughly to avoid bringing them home.

• Wear long socks you can tuck your pants into or elastic-ankle sweatpants to keep ticks from finding their way underneath your clothes.

• Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes and mouth.

• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing.

• If you discover a tick on your body, remove it right away. Carefully grasp the tick by using tweezers to grip the tick by its mouth parts, which are close to the skin. Do not squeeze the tick’s body. Pull steadily directly away from your skin. Because removing the tick’s body is your main goal, don’t worry if its mouth parts break off in the process. Clean the wound and disinfect the site of the bite.

Contact Kayla Langmaid at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or klangmaid@newtondailynews.com