Tick season has begun in Alberta, and taking precautions to protect yourself and your pet is important.

Tick season usually begins when the weather warms up to 4 degrees Celsius on a regular basis and extends until the first snowfall of the year.

Ticks are small arachnids generally found on trees that bite to fasten themselves onto the skin of humans and animals and feed on blood.

Stephanie Tschecheny, Registered Veterinary Technologist, says ticks can cause serious health issues for pets.

"Symptom wise in your dog or cat, we can see fever, lameness, swelling of the joints, lethargy, and loss of appetite. We can also see kidney disease and Lyme disease in pets as well."

She says while ticks are most common in British Columbia, there is still a risk in Alberta.

"We do see ticks in Alberta, you'll notice ticks on your pet when you go hiking, dog parks have them, tall grassed areas, any place like that. We do see them more often in BC so your travel history is important, if you plan on going camping definitely tick prevention is a big one."

She adds even if your pet doesn't go on hikes or to the park, ticks can be transmitted from other animals in the neighbourhood.

Tschechney says there are different options for tick prevention for our furry friends, including topical applications and chews that can be administered monthly or every three months.

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