Tick carrying Lyme disease found on Pictou County feline

It's smaller than a fingernail, and yet, Dr. Katherine Finlayson says, it's certainly startling.
Finlayson is talking about a tick that was found on a Thorburn-area cat. Since last year, veterinarians at New Glasgow's East River Animal Hospital and Shiretown Veterinary Hospital in Pictou, after examining animals for ticks, have been sending those ticks to the Department of Natural Resources for testing.
"Just recently, we got confirmation from the department that one of the ticks we sent for testing in October came back positive for carrying Lyme disease," said Finlayson, who works at both veterinary clinics.
She adds while the Thorburn cat is not sick with Lyme disease, the fact that it was carrying an infected tick is a concern.
"This is something pet owners need to be aware of. We're getting ticks that are positive in the area, so we have to be careful now."
Pet owners should not only be checking their pets for ticks, they should also be sending these ticks to be tested, she says, adding they can either hand the ticks over to the Department of Natural Resources themselves or have a veterinary clinic do it for them.
Finlayson says owners can take preventative measures to protect their pets. Dogs
Can be vaccinated for Lyme disease. There are also products available for dogs at veterinary clinics, such as Advantix, which stops ticks from attaching to dogs. However, there are few products available for cats. In fact, the only product available that has proven to be useful is Ovitrol Spray, she says. But pet owners need to exercise caution.
"Always check with your veterinarian first because if you put the wrong product on your pet, it can be very dangerous."
Usually, when a tick attaches itself to an animal, it stays on that animal, she says. But that doesn't mean owners shouldn't be careful. "If a cat is going out in the yard and picking a tick up, what's to prevent (those ticks) from attaching to a person?" she says. "People need to be cautious. If they find ticks on themselves, they should see a doctor."