Articles on ticks, tick prevention, and tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease in dogs and cats from Sixteen Mile Veterinary Clinic.
Yes. A peer-reviewed CAPC study (Self et al., Geospatial Health) showed canine 4DX positive rates predict human Lyme incidence at the county level. If your dog tests positive, the humans in your home are being exposed too.
Read moreNo. Tick tubes (Damminix, Thermacell) contain permethrin, which is acutely toxic to cats. If your cat goes outdoors at all, skip tick tubes in favour of habitat management. Here's why.
Read moreCats can be bitten by infected ticks but almost never develop clinical Lyme disease. Per Cornell, no naturally acquired clinical case has been documented outside the lab in North America. Here's what cats actually do get.
Read moreYes, cats absolutely get ticks — even indoor cats. The bigger danger isn't usually the tick itself, it's the dog tick products that are toxic to cats. Here's what Halton cat owners need to know.
Read moreYes. The Canadian Parasitology Expert Panel now recommends year-round tick prevention for dogs and outdoor cats in southern Ontario. Mild winters mean ticks are active any month above 4°C. Here's why.
Read moreA 60-second tick check after every walk catches ticks before they transmit disease. Here's the method, the body zones to focus on, and the one trick that catches unattached ticks.
Read moreMowing, raking leaf litter, and a 3-metre wood-chip barrier between lawn and woods reduce tick numbers by 50–90%. Here's the full Halton-friendly yard playbook — including what NOT to do if you have a cat.
Read moreUse fine-tipped tweezers or a Tick Twister, grasp close to the skin, and pull straight up. No matches, no vaseline, no alcohol on the tick. Here's the proper technique from a Halton vet.
Read moreFound a tick on your cat? Remove it gently with a Tick Twister, save it for eTick.ca, and watch for signs over 2 weeks. Cats rarely get Lyme — here's what they actually do get.
Read moreFound a tick on your dog? Remove it with fine-tipped tweezers, save it for eTick.ca, and book a 4DX test 6–8 weeks later. Here's the full step-by-step from a Halton vet.
Read moreYes. Anaplasmosis became reportable in Ontario in February 2023, and Halton's first locally-detected cases came in 2025. Same vector as Lyme, similar symptoms in dogs. Here's what you need to know.
Read moreNo. K9 Advantix II contains permethrin, which is severely toxic to cats. Even cuddling a recently treated dog can poison a cat. Here's why, and what to use instead in a multi-pet home.
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