Thankfully, we were dealing with dog ticks, not deer ticks, so Lyme disease wasn't our biggest worry. But then Rocky Mountain spotted fever which dog ticks carry and transmit is nothing to sneeze at. Clearly, avoiding and dealing with these tenacious little critters is an essential skill for all members of an active family. Regardless of type, ticks are a nuisance. A year or two ago, a tick had such a firm hold on my husband that a doctor had to remove it.
Ticks are tiny, harmless-looking little suckers, but they can transmit a variety of diseases.
Some, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, are fatal. Others, such as Lyme disease, can be severely debilitating. Another problem is diagnosis, because these diseases often mimic less serious viral infections. Obviously, you don't want ticks feasting on you or your family. The good news is that ticks need time to transmit disease some health experts say 24 hours or longer for certain bacterium.