Shropshire vets join in with survey on ticks

Tick bites can transmit serious infections, such as Lyme disease, a serious and debilitating illness that can cause long term health problems in dogs and people.

Now veterinary practices in the region are taking action by joining the University of Bristol and BBC naturalist Chris Packham in the Big Tick Project. This new nationwide initiative runs from spring through to autumn, tracking the rise of the tick population in the UK and finding out how many carry disease.

Dog owners can take their pets to participating practices for a tick check and advice about innovations in effective tick control. Any ticks found on dogs will be collected and sent to Bristol University laboratories to help advance the knowledge of tick-borne disease, benefitting both veterinary and human medicine.

Chris Packham said: "Research highlighted by the Big Tick Project experts at Bristol University suggests that ticks are a growing problem, especially in areas such as urban parkland, woodland or open country. While I find both ticks and fleas interesting creatures, I don't want them on my dogs, in my house, or on me."

By taking part, local veterinary practices will help to identify the level of risk to dogs and people in the area, compared to the national average. The practices also aim to provide advice to local dog owners on effective tick control.

Ticks are hard to spot when small but can transmit infections as they feed off the blood of their host. Dog owners often see ticks when they have increased in size as a result of their blood meal but by then the damage may have been done.

Among the vets taking part are: Pearl veterinary group in Longbow Close and Sutton Farm in Shrewsbury, Bridgefield Vet Surgery and Roden Grove Veterinary Centre in Wem, Crowgate Veterinary Surgery in Bishop's Castle and Severn Edge vet group practices in Broseley and Much Wenlock, as well as Bishop Hendry and Edwards in Newport and Taylor & Marshall Vets in Shifnal.

Telford practices include Wrekin View Vet Practice, Haygate Veterinary Centre, Medivet-Oakengates, Medivet-Shawbirch, Severn Edge vet group St Georges and Madeley, and Oakville Veterinary Surgery.

Dog owners wanting to take part in the Big Tick Project with a tick check for their dogs or to find out more about the risks from tick bites should visit www.bigtickproject.co.uk