As summer approaches, pet owners need to be vigilant about protecting their furry companions from ticks. These small but dangerous parasites can transmit serious diseases to both dogs and cats and the risk increases significantly during the warmer months.
Ticks are particularly prevalent in long grass and wild areas, making them a concern for pet owners who walk their dogs on mountains, in parks and open spaces, or for dogs that roam in bushy areas around their homes. The threat is real, as demonstrated by a recent case at TEARS Animal Rescue, where a little dog nearly lost her life to a tick-borne infection.
Prevention is Key
The most effective prevention is tick control medication available from your veterinarian. However, if cost is a barrier, animal welfare organisations like TEARS can help treat your pets, to prevent tick-borne illnesses.
It’s crucial to avoid home remedies, which can be dangerous and ineffective. TEARS Animal Rescue Spokesperson, Tinka Shapiro, warns against using harmful substances: “Please don’t try anything that could hurt your dog or cat. We have seen some cases where petrol or motor oil has been used as tick prevention as the owners believed this would work. It does not work and it will only harm your pet.”
Daily Checks and Hygiene
Beyond medication, pet owners should conduct daily tick checks, paying particular attention to ears, necks, underbellies and between toes. Regular washing of pet bedding (weekly during spring and summer) and treating kennels with tick control products can also help reduce the risk.
Recognising Tick-Borne Diseases
Ticks can transmit several serious conditions, including:
- Babesiosis (also known as biliary): symptoms include fever, anaemia, jaundice and lethargy
- Ehrlichiosis: causes fever, bleeding, weight loss and eye issues
- Anaplasmosis: characterised by joint pain, fever and lethargy
- Tick paralysis: results in weakness or paralysis
- Haemobartonellosis: leads to anaemia, lethargy in cats and pale gums
Meisie’s Story: A Life Saved
Meisie, a small dog who came into TEARS Animal Rescue’s care via Hermanus Animal Welfare, exemplifies the severity of tick-borne disease. She had been exposed to Parvo, a highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease affecting unvaccinated dogs and developed ehrlichia, a tick-borne bacterial infection.
“Meisie’s liver was failing due to the fluid build-up in her abdomen. We did a blood test to diagnose the ehrlichia and started to treatment. There was a time we were not sure she would make it,” says Shapiro. “But she did!”
This story has a happy ending – Meisie was fostered by a TEARS staff member and has since been adopted. “We are so happy that she now has a lovely place to call home,” Shapiro adds.
Take Action Now
Pet owners are encouraged to visit their local animal welfare organisation, TEARS Animal Rescue, or their nearest veterinarian to ensure their pets are protected with appropriate tick control medication this summer.
For more information, visit www.tears.org.za
Source: TEARS Animal Rescue media release, November 2025
About TEARS Animal Rescue
TEARS is a pro-life, non-profit organisation established in 1999 (registered in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act) whose core aim is to rescue, treat, rehabilitate, reunite, and rehome lost, abandoned, abused, and neglected companion animals and to educate pet owners and the youth living in the four under-resourced communities within which we operate.
They strive to meet the needs of the under-resourced communities in the Southern Peninsula by providing:
- free sterilisations and subsidised medical support that includes vaccinations, deworming, and parasite control
- access to two TEARS mobile clinics that offer primary healthcare and pet care support.
- Access to the TEARS Veterinary Clinic, offering veterinary care for vulnerable pets for almost any condition, illness, or injury at a welfare rate.
TEARS remains the only facility in the Cape Peninsula’s far South available seven days per week, including an after-hours mobile clinic service from 4.30pm to 7pm with limited veterinary care. TEARS treat the hundreds of animals who need treatment each month for various conditions, illnesses, and injuries.
Their experience enables us to manage the population control of companion animals in these areas, based on available funding, and to reduce the spread of zoonoses as a means of supporting community health and complying to the WHO’s One Health approach to the animal-human interface.
They are partnered with community-based NGOs and community leaders to support vulnerable pets and pet owners living in the four core communities we are mandated to serve. Their Programmes aim to bring about systemic change through strategic interventions based on community involvement and support. Implementing effective animal welfare solutions in high-density and low-income communities has been proven to positively impact human welfare by delivering health, environmental, economic, educational, and social benefits.
