Fact: There are over 899 species of ticks wandering throughout the world including the Black-legged Tick, Lone Star Tick, and the American Dog Tick. Ticks stay alive by attaching themselves to warm-blooded hosts - a human, deer or dog; and they all have a 50% chance of carrying bacterium diseases.

Some states have reported more animal tick-borne illnesses than others; and as such, these states may want to be particularly careful, as pets can develop Lyme Disease as humans. If your dog is usually energetic, and has become lethargic, not eating, restless or weak - take your dog to the vet immediately for a tick-check. After every outdoor activity with your pet, be sure to perform a thorough tick-check on both yourself and your pet to lower the risk of Lyme.

For now, let's examine the effect of ticks on dogs.

Here are the top 10 states with the most reported dog tick cases:

1) New Hampshire

2) Minnesota

3) Maine

4) New Jersey

5) Wisconsin

6) Virginia

7) Connecticut

8) New York

9) Pennsylvania

10) Massachusetts

Like humans, if ticks are safely removed from dogs within the first 48 hours, then they will reduce the risk of Lyme Disease and vets will be able to treat the dog with care. We strongly suggest pet owners and outdoor enthusiasts alike purchase a tick removal tool. Contact Deerbusters to learn other tactics to protect your dog from ticks.