Health

Dogs and cats

Ticks and tick-borne diseases (babesiosis, Lyme disease)

Ticks are blood-sucking parasites common in grass and woodland across Slovakia, especially from spring to autumn. In central Europe the ornate dog tick can pass on babesiosis, a serious blood disease in dogs, and other ticks can carry Lyme disease, which usually causes no signs in dogs and cats. Daily tick checks and vet-recommended prevention reduce the risk.

What you might notice

• A small round grey, brown or bluish lump attached to the skin.
• Redness or swelling where a tick was attached.
• Fever, tiredness or loss of appetite days after a tick bite.
• Pale or yellow gums or red-brown urine (possible babesiosis).
• Lameness or stiffness.

Common causes

• Walks in long grass, meadows and woodland.
• Warm and mild seasons, often spring to autumn.
• Gaps in tick prevention.
• Travel to areas with more ticks.

What you can do at home

• Check your pet for ticks after every walk, especially head, ears, armpits, groin and belly.
• Remove ticks promptly with a purpose-made tick remover by twisting or pulling steadily.
• Check that no part of the tick is left in the skin.
• Note the date of any tick bite and watch your pet for illness over the following weeks.

Book a vet in the next day or two if

• Part of the tick stays in the skin or the area becomes swollen or infected.
• Lameness or stiffness after the tick season.
• Your pet seems off-colour in the weeks after a tick bite.

Don't

• Do not put oil, alcohol, nail varnish or ether on a tick.
• Do not squeeze or burn the tick.
• Never use a dog tick product on a cat unless the label says it is safe for cats.

Prevention

• Use tick prevention recommended by your vet for the whole tick season.
• Stick to paths and avoid long grass in warm months where possible.
• Check your pet daily for ticks.
• Ask your vet whether a babesiosis vaccine is useful for your dog.

This guide gives general information about common health problems in dogs and cats. It is not a diagnosis and it does not replace an examination by a veterinarian. Every animal is different, and signs that look mild can sometimes hide a serious problem, especially in cats, which often hide illness and pain. If you are worried about your pet, or if your pet shows any of the warning signs listed here, contact your vet or the nearest emergency veterinary clinic straight away. Never give your pet human medicines or any medicine not prescribed for that animal by a vet.