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Tick season: How to protect your pet this spring

With temperatures continuing to climb, people are spending more time outside.

Holden Leonhardt took advantage of the perfect spring weather recently and took his dog Sampson out to play.

“He’s always with me when I’m playing disc golf,” said Leonhardt. “He’s 5. He loves to go out on the course.”

This dog owner knows all about the dangers of ticks.

“I just climbed Pinnacle Mountain in Colorado and sure enough he had two ticks on him.”

Experts at SICSA animal adoption center in Kettering said it’s a misconception that cold weather kills ticks.

Ticks can survive cold weather and even water.

And now, with higher temperatures, people will notice more ticks.

“Ticks can really be found anywhere,” said Megan Dell, SICSA veterinary clinic manager. “They will be more prevalent in a wooded area. Maybe you’ll walk your dog around a neighborhood and won’t get ticks, but you never know.”

There are a variety of ticks in the area, including the American dog tick, deer tick and Rocky Mountain wood tick.

“Ohio is just a great place for parasites in general,” Dell said.

To check your pet for ticks, make sure to look in between paws, ears and thighs.

If you do find a tick, don’t try to take it off with just tweezers.

“Get a product to get the tick off safely,” Dell said. “They sell something called a Tick Twister or a Tick Key you can purchase at a store.”

Leonhardt said he loves his furry friend, so he’ll never forget to treat Sampson for ticks.

“It’s good to keep the treatments in the spring, especially when ticks are out,” he said.

The region had a wet winter and early spring, which experts said is a good mix for ticks this season.

Most tick and flea medicines are given to dogs once a month, but there are some that are good for three months. Make sure to ask your vet what’s best for your pet.

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