Warm weather is drawing people and their pets to trails and outdoor spaces across southern Idaho — but ticks are out there waiting.
Neighbor Michelle was hiking the Canyon Rim Trail with her dog, Lucky, when she made an unwelcome discovery.
"I didn't expect to find ticks out here, but I've already picked one off of him," Michelle shared.
Ticks are a well-known presence in the sagebrush deserts of southern Idaho, and experts say the season is already underway.
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"Obviously, the temperature is high enough now that the ticks are out, just depending on the area that you're going to, they are a constant presence," Dr. Zsigmond Szanto said.
Szanto fields his share of calls and visits about ticks at Twin Falls Veterinary Clinic and Hospital. He commented that in most cases, pet owners can remove ticks on their own.
"It's always the legs that are...kinda sitting on the animal," Szanto explained, "You just have to fold them upside down, show them the sky and pull gently, and they come out."
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According to the CDC, most of the country is seeing higher than usual rates of emergency room visits for tick bites, including in Idaho. Ticks can carry a variety of diseases, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
With warmer weather and the onset of camping season, Szanto remarks there are plenty of preventative steps pet owners can take, such as pills, topical solutions and collars.
Szanto reminded pet owners to be vigilant, "Camping season is coming up here in a couple of weeks and people will be out and about, and it's very important to make sure that they kind of think of their furry friends."
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