Ticks can transmit Lyme’s disease, a serious bacterial infection, to dogs, cats, and humans. Although Lyme’s disease is uncommon in cats, it is crucial to be aware of the symptoms in pets:  

• Depression  

• Not eating  

• Fever  

• Lameness  

• Swollen and painful joints  

• Swollen lymph nodes  

• Lethargy  

• If you are unsure on how to remove a tick from your pet or if you feel part of it is left in your pet’s skin  

• If any redness, swelling or sign of infection around the bite  

• If your pet seems unwell after the tick removal 

• History of tick exposure  

• Presence of the parasites on the skin or bite mark  

• Symptoms  

• Blood test (but not completely accurate)  

Tick bites can carry diseases, so it's important to remove them straight away.  
 
How to remove ticks from pets: 

• Removing a tick, avoid squeezing its body or leaving the head embedded in your pet. Squeezing the tick can push infected blood back into your pet, increasing the risk of disease. The safest way to remove a tick is by using a tick removal tool.  

If your pet is diagnosed with Lyme's disease your vet will prescribe appropriate medication. 

• Use a tick treatment that either kills or repels ticks. There are different types of treatments, such as spot-on treatments and tablets. Never use dog tick medicine on cats or vice versa safely prescribed by your vet. Some dog tick treatments contain chemicals that are toxic to cats and can even be fatal to them.  

• Avoid warm and long grass places where ticks are usually found  

• Check your pet regularly  

While ticks themselves rarely cause direct problems, their bites can transmit diseases. Early detection and treatment of tick-borne diseases is important to get the best outcome.