Many people who worry about pests do so because they are protective of their family. However, many people forget that pets are just as susceptible to bugs and insects as humans are.

If you have pets in your home, you should be especially cognizant of the pests listed below.

Ticks

When it comes to keeping pets safe, the bug you should most be concerned about is the tick. Ticks are becoming a bigger and bigger problem throughout the country. The populations are expected to continue growing massively in the coming years. Ticks can burrow beneath your pet’s fur without you, or them, noticing. If the tick bites through your pet’s skin, tick paralysis can occur. Signs of tick paralysis include:

Difficulty breathing
Change in barking pitch
Vomiting
Paralysis
Death
Additionally, ticks can spread Lyme disease to pets just as they spread it to humans. You should make preventative efforts to not only keep ticks out of your backyard but to keep them off your pet as well.

Mosquitoes

If your pet loves to be outdoors, they will expose themselves to mosquitoes frequently. If a mosquito bites your dog or cat, it can pass the heartworm disease. If left untreated, heartworm causes death in a matter of months. A tell-tale sign of your pet having been bitten by a mosquito are itchy welts, just like the ones that appear on humans.

Spiders

Although many spiders are harmless to pets, there are some species of poisonous spiders in Nigeria of particular concern. If your pet is bitten by a spider, a mark will likely not appear for a few days. After the bite mark appears, your pet will appear lethargic or weak while suffering from a fever. Certain spider bites cause the death of healthy tissue, which could result in amputation.

Ants

There’s a good chance that when playing outside, your pet discovers an ant hill. You should do everything in your power to keep your pet away from ants. When ants feel threatened they begin biting. Before your pet knows what is happening, they could have been bitten by dozens, if not hundreds, of ants. When a pet is bitten by ants, they will likely break out in a rash.

If your pet has suffered from a medical emergency, be sure to take it to your trusted vet as soon as possible. Your vet can conduct tests to determine what bug, if any, bit your pet. After resolving your pet’s health, you should then look to prevent the situation from occurring again.

If you have seen signs of a pest infestation or are merely looking to take preventative action, be sure to contact a local expert. Trained technicians will visit your home and examine your property to determine the best course of action to eliminate your infestation. You can have them almost everywhere in Lagos or anywhere you live. Just ask around and you might be lucky to get a cheaper one. Prevention they say is better than cure. Thanks for reading.