Bay Area veterinarians sound the alarm about an increase in tick bites

TIBURON — After a wet winter, Bay Area veterinarians are now sounding the alarm about an increase in tick bites.

Ticks are showing up in places where you wouldn’t expect to find them and in greater numbers, threatening not only pets but also their owners.

Michael McGrath is all smiles when he takes his friend’s dog Baloo for walks, especially after it rains, when streams and waterfalls are gushing. But the dogwalker is keenly aware of ticks eager to latch onto legs and more.

“There’s always more ticks after it rains and there’s been a lot of rain this year,”  McGrath told KPIX. 

Marin County veterinarian Dr. Peter Dowell told KPIX he was seeing a significant number of dogs with tick bites and he believes the uptick will remain high because of an extremely wet winter.

“You also have more animals out there,” said Dowell, who practices out of the Alto Tiburon Veterinary Hospital. “More rodents and deer. You could even have another surge of ticks a year later.”

According to The Bay Area Lyme Foundation, signs of Lyme disease in pets can take 2-5 months to appear. They include joint pain and a noticeable change in behavior.

“Generally they just don’t seem like they’re feeling well, but beyond that it’s hard,” Dowell said.

Health officials said the best practices include avoiding brush and tall grass when going on walks and to stick to the trail as much as you can.

“Twice I’ve found ticks on one of my dogs,” dog-owner Michael Hoyt said.

If that happens, experts advice to use tweezers to pull the tick out slowly, without twisting. An annual test for heartworm at the vet’s office, also checks for the three most common tick borne diseases.

“In some of them in particular, Lyme disease can damage the heart and kidneys as well,” Dowell said.

Dog owner Michael Hoyt choose not to use tick control products on his dog Lexi, but that doesn’t mean he’s not checking.

 “I wouldn’t worry a lot about ticks but it is good to look your dog over, rub your hands over your dog, and look underneath,” he said.