HARTFORD, Conn — As some of you may know, my family recently expanded when we gave our dog Luna a sister named Eva. Like all pet parents, I want to make sure both pups are as healthy and happy as possible. That’s why I’m so excited to share with you our new Pet Parasite Forecast, which takes a closer look at the local prevalence of parasites like ticks and heartworm which can cause diseases in our furry friends.
Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we’ll dive into the data on these pesky parasites to make sure you know what’s happening in your backyard and beyond.
Let’s start it out this week by looking into the levels of Lyme disease across the state of Connecticut. Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that can be transmitted to humans, dogs, and other animals by certain species of ticks.
The ticks that carry Lyme disease are most likely to be found in tall grasses, thick brush, marshes, and woods. Although active year-round, they tend to be more active during the spring and fall, so these nice September days might actually be putting your pet at greater risk. As you’ll see from our Pet Parasite Forecast map, although the Lyme infection risk across the state is slightly lower than past years, it’s still forecasted to be very high overall in Litchfield County, Tolland County and New London County. That said, make sure you keep your pets safe by talking to your vet about year-round tick protection and doing daily tick checks of your pet and your family!
This content was provided by Pet Disease Alerts, a non-profit organization founded by the Companion Animal Parasite Council. This forecast sponsored and made possible by Merck Animal Health, the makers of BRAVECTO® flea and tick treatment.