Like us, dogs and cats can get Lyme Disease and other diseases caused by tick bites. While not all ticks carry Lyme Disease, they carry other harmful diseases including:

• Anaplasmosis
• Ehrlichiosis
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (dog tick bites)
• Hepatazoonosis
• Babesiosis
• Bartonellosis

Black-legged ticks (deer ticks) are the most popular tick species that carry these diseases; however, as stated above, the American Dog Tick does carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. While American Dog Ticks attack humans, they choose dogs as their primary source for blood meals. 

March is the start of tick season; and pet owners will need to separate wildlife from domestic animals with dog fencing and other non-lethal measures for pet protection. 

Click here to learn more about pet tick diseases and prevention.