Prevention is better than cure when it comes to dealing with ticks

Ticks are a life-threatening hazard for pets in Hong Kong. They are usually found in country parks and places with heavy vegetation, but these parasites also lurk in the city's urban areas and parks where other animals have been.

While fleas alert pet owners of their presence (both owners and pets will soon be scratching flea bites), tick-related diseases and their symptoms may take weeks to appear.

And many owners do not know their pets are suffering from a debilitating disease until it is too late.

Dr Jane Gray, deputy director of veterinary services at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, warns that tick bites can be fatal. 'While fleas aren't good news, if I could choose between fleas or ticks, I'd choose fleas because they don't tend to be life threatening,' she says. 'Some cases can be very acute, while others can take a few weeks to develop.'

Gray sees about one canine case of tick fever a day in the summer. Some dogs may seem lethargic, depressed and constantly want to sleep. They will not exercise as much as normal, have whitish not pink-coloured gums, and their urine turns from pale yellow to tea-coloured. In severe cases, the animal will collapse.

Cases of tick fever in cats are 'pretty low' because most live indoors, she says.