My family spent a few days in Eskdale in the Lake District over half term with a large group of people and a variety of their dogs, writes vet John Hutchinson.
It's hard to beat walking in such a beautiful countryside in good weather.
One of the dogs, a border collie called Brynley, showed us a thing or two about fitness - no matter how much walking we did his four paw drive was always ready to move.
An older springer spaniel called Router came with us on some shorter walks.
On return from a riverside walk, Router's owner spotted a small tick by his left eye. Ticks are particularly common in areas of the country like the Lake District and the New Forest. I must confess to generally not taking any veterinary equipment or treatments on holiday. Perhaps I should. However, with the help of a friend with longer, finer and more feminine nails than I, we managed to remove Router's tick.
There are a variety of ways to get rid of and prevent ticks. I prefer to carefully remove them using tweezers or a tick remover.
If unsure whether you are dealing with a tick or not it is probably best to see your vet. I have heard of owners trying to remove a skin mass thinking it was a tick. It is very important to remove the complete tick.
Ticks cause discomfort and can spread disease both in the UK and abroad.
Many products are available from your vetinary practice to treat and prevent ticks. These are generally spot on products, generally easy to apply and pretty effective.
