18/07/2026
🕷️ TICKS: SMALL PARASITES, SERIOUS RISKS
Ticks are not only unpleasant—they can transmit infections while feeding on your pet’s blood.
In the UK, ticks may transmit:
🔸 Lyme disease – may cause fever, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes and painful or stiff joints. In rare cases, kidney complications may develop.
🔸 Anaplasmosis – may cause fever, reduced appetite, weakness, lameness, anaemia and low platelet levels.
🔸 Babesiosis – damages red blood cells and may cause severe anaemia, pale or yellow gums, weakness and dark or red urine.
🔸 Ehrlichiosis – may cause fever, lethargy, weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, low platelets and abnormal bleeding.
Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are considered endemic in the UK. Babesiosis and ehrlichiosis are more commonly associated with pets that have travelled or been imported, although locally acquired cases have also been reported.
✅ How can you protect your pet?
🐾 Use a suitable, veterinary-approved tick-prevention treatment based on your pet’s individual risk.
🐾 Check your pet thoroughly after walks, especially after visiting woodland, moorland or areas with long grass.
🐾 Pay particular attention to the ears, neck, face, armpits, groin, between the toes and around the tail.
🐾 Remove attached ticks promptly using a proper tick-removal tool. Never squeeze, crush, burn or cover an attached tick with oil or alcohol.
🐾 Continue checking regularly—even when using preventative treatment, as no product is 100% effective. Ticks may be active at different times throughout the year.
⚠️ Always use a product specifically approved for your pet’s species and weight. Never apply a dog-only tick product containing permethrin to a cat, as this can cause life-threatening poisoning.
Be cautious of unlicensed “natural” or herbal products promoted online. Natural does not automatically mean safe or effective.
If you find a tick and are unsure how to remove it, or your pet becomes unwell following a tick bite, please contact your veterinary practice.
Here are a few photos from real-life cases, showing how severely ticks can affect our pets.