prevention plays a vital role when keeping dogs from catching tick-carried diseases such as Lyme, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. During a recent camping trip, Cindy Ridley and her dogs Cubby and Olivia played unwilling hosts to a dozen unwanted pests. “We caught 12 ticks,” Ridley said.
The South Union Township woman said two of the dozen were deer ticks, and the remaining 10 were dog or wood ticks. Ridley is one of many dog owners throughout the United States impacted by the increase of ticks this summer. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council’s 2024 Annual Pet Parasite forecast, several states – including Pennsylvania – are expected to see a continued increase in ticks this summer.
“Tick-borne disease incidence in people in the United States has tripled since last year,” the report stated. “With much of this increase due to tick-borne pathogens which were reported in higher numbers.” CAPC, a nonprofit organization of veterinarians and leading animal health experts from around the county, estimated Pennsylvania could see a 10% increase from last year of pathogen-spreading ticks in dogs.
The council also found that in Fayette and Washington County, 1 in 8 dogs that were tested for Lyme disease came back positive results, while 1 in 6 dogs that were tested in Greene County came back as positive. The rising trend of tick bites and Lyme disease diagnoses in dogs has been a pattern. Veterinarian Dr.
Amy Nicewonger of Alpha Veterinary Services in Union.
