Your senior pet's outdoor adventures have slowed down, but that doesn't mean they no longer need tick prevention. While they may be sleeping under the covers rather than under the stars, they still need consistent protection from external parasites. 

In the “tick” of an eye, ticks can find your senior pet

Ticks don't need an invitation to come inside your home. Ticks can easily bite and feed on indoor-only and mobility-restricted senior pets for several reasons: 

* Senior pets are more likely to rest while outside. Sitting or lying in the grass allows ticks to climb on and attach themselves to your pet.

* Ticks can come inside on bags, clothing, and shoes.

* Senior pets may groom less, increasing the chances of tick attachment. 

* Indoor pets are less likely to be checked for ticks. If your pet is not on preventives, the tick could bite, feed, fall off, and lay eggs inside your home.

Tick-borne diseases that affect senior pets

Senior pets lack the robust immune system of their youth, making them more vulnerable to parasitic infestations and tick-transmitted diseases. While a young and healthy pet can be exposed to a tick-borne illness, develop resistant antibodies, and recover with no disease signs, older pets cannot always fight back. The likelihood of severe infection increases if your senior pet has other medical conditions or diseases.

Infected ticks obtain their pathogen from previous hosts, such as small rodents and deer. The most common tick-borne illnesses in dogs and cats include:

* Lyme disease

* Ehrlichiosis

* Anaplasmosis

* Rocky Mountain spotted fever

* Babesiosis

* Tick paralysis

* Tularemia

* Bartonellosis

* Cytauxzoonosis

Ticks take 24 hours to establish their bite and begin feeding. As they feed, they transmit the infectious pathogen, which enters your pet’s bloodstream. Only one infected tick bite is needed to transmit diseases.

Looking for ticks on your senior pet

Check your senior pet regularly for ticks, especially when they return indoors. Ticks tend to hide where they will be undisturbed, so ensure you check these areas:

* Ears

* Between their toes

* Neck

* Eyelids

* Armpits

* Groin

* Under their tail

* Beneath the collar

Check your pet the same way every time to ensure you don’t overlook any area. Move your hands gently over your pet, massaging rather than inspecting them.

Safely removing ticks from your senior pet

You will no doubt be alarmed to find a tick on your pet, but you should stay calm and carefully remove the parasite. Finding a tick on your pet does not mean their preventive isn’t working. Most products kill ticks only when they bite. The ticks you find will likely be in the early stages of attachment, dying, or dead.

Consider your senior pet’s unique needs when removing ticks. Painful joints, poor balance, thin skin, and sensory loss can make the process uncomfortable or frightening. Ask for help to gently support your pet if the tick is hard to reach. To safely remove a tick:

* Part the hair around the tick.

* Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with tweezers.

* Pull gently upward—do not twist or turn.

* Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet.

* Wash your hands thoroughly.

Tick-borne illness signs in senior pets

Following careful tick removal, observe your pet for the following:

* Enlarged lymph nodes

* Depression

* Lethargy

* Decreased appetite

* Sudden limping, stiffness, swollen or painful joints

* Vomiting or diarrhea

* Neurologic signs

Consult your veterinarian if your senior pet experiences any health or behavior changes. Addressing tick-borne illness early with antibiotics may improve the prognosis.

Preventing ticks on your senior pet

Your senior pet’s best defense against ticks is a year-round prescription flea and tick prevention protocol. Preventives are safe, effective, and available in monthly or semi-monthly topical or oral medications that repel ticks or kill them after they bite. Preventives work quickly to prevent disease transmission—all veterinary products have a rapid speed-of-kill, typically during 12 hours of tick attachment.

When recommending preventives, your veterinarian will consider your senior pet’s age, medical history, and lifestyle. Avoid over-the-counter treatments because of the potential side effects in sensitive senior pets. Never use dog flea and tick prevention products on cats.

Year-round prevention is necessary, regardless of your chosen product or whether your pet is indoor-only. Ticks emerge during mild winter days in search of a blood meal, and fleas can live indoors. 

Protecting your senior pet from tick-borne diseases

Your senior pet’s health can change rapidly, so have them examined twice a year. Senior cats and dogs should still be screened annually for heartworm and tick-borne diseases because early detection is crucial to detect exposure, begin treatment, and reevaluate their prevention protocol. 

If you are concerned that your pet may have a tick-borne illness, or you have questions or concerns about any other disease that may be affecting your senior pet’s quality of life, our telehospice service can provide compassionate guidance.