We created Take Initiative Check Kids to help bring awareness and education about ticks and tickborne diseases to kids and their parents so they can Enjoy More Time Outside! Kids spend half their day at school and no parent should be worried about their child picking up a tick when they’re not around. We’ve seen firsthand how dangerous Lyme Disease and other Tickborne diseases can be for kids, so T.I.C.K. is our way of giving back to the parents and kids that we serve at ohDEER.
There are two parts to our T.I.C.K. Program: free preschool sprays and education. We spray preschools with our All-Natural Tick & Mosquito Control during the school year so kids at the preschool can Enjoy More Time Outside. We then provide the preschool with educational materials about ticks and tick prevention to send home with parents so they can learn more about how to protect their child from ticks.
Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases, so it’s important to check your child early and often after outdoor activities. After any outdoor activity, especially activities in high-density tick areas, you should check your child in the following spots where ticks like to hide.
Find a pair of fine-point tweezers. Using this tool will help prevent tearing the tick’s body and spreading whatever infections it has around the open area.
Grasp the tick with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible.
Pull upwards in a slow and steady motion until the tick is removed from the skin.
Wash your hands and the bite area with soap and water.
Flush the tick down the toilet or save it in a bag to send in for testing.
We all consider our pets as part of the family – that’s why we created T.I.C.K9! Just like our T.I.C.K. (Take Initiative Check Kids) Program, we want to encourage people to check their K9s, Kats and other animals for ticks. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease and other tick borne diseases to dogs and cats just like they do to humans. So please, Take Initiative and Check your K9s, just as you do for yourself and your children.
For more information about checking your pet for ticks, visit the CDC website!
T.I.C.K9 isn’t just about education, we also love to give back to our local community members who do so much for dogs, cats and other pets. Contact us at 508-358-0808 to learn more about T.I.C.K9 and how we can work with your local vet or doggy day care.
