A stray dog is now recovering in foster care after she was brought in to CC RezQs covered in ticks, serving as a reminder for dog owners to check for ticks and take precautions to prevent them.
Hazel was found in a community north of Regina and brought in on Sunday. Hazel had wood ticks, also known as American dog ticks, all over her body, with clusters on her chin, chest and back.
Workers with CC RezQs removed the bugs by hand and put hazel in foster care. The rescue says it’s the worst case of ticks they've seen this season.
"So the first thing that I noticed when I saw her was that she was just covered in ticks from head to toe. You couldn't see her ears. The inside was full of ticks. The outside of both ears was full of ticks,” CC RezQs director and foster care coordinator Stephanie Senger said.
Next for Hazel are more medical examinations this week.
"Do some assessments; we're going to look at this eyeball. We're a little bit worried the left one has to come out. And then get a timeline for how long we'll have her in care until we can put her up for adoption eventually,” Senger said.
Once Hazel receives medical treatment and is cleared to be taken to her forever home, she'll be available for adoption through CC RezQs.
Tick season usually starts in May and lasts until the end of July.
Ticks that carry Lyme disease are very rare in Saskatchewan, but the bug can still cause irritation to the skin.
"You grab the tick right at the skin, between the base of the skin and the tick and remove it. Some dogs will actually develop a reaction to the sort of venom that's in the tick, and can have a skin infection afterwards, but those can be easily treated… "You can absolutely get tick medication that can be done orally or topically on your dog." veterinarian with Animal Clinic of Regina Dr. Lesley Sawa said.
Dog owners can purchase tick medication annually to help prevent the bug bites.
