Raintree Animal Health Center

Tick Populations Are Booming Across the U.S. And Displaying ‘Alarming’ New Behavior
Sophie Kaemmerlé
Mon, June 23, 2025 at 4:30 AM CDT4 min read

Summer is the thick of tick season. If you spend a lot of time outdoors during the warmer months, whether it’s in the backwoods or the backyard, you’ve probably taken your precautions. It turns out those precautions may be more important than ever, with tick populations not just exploding, but migrating. We’ll tell you what you need to know to protect yourself and your loved ones. Also in today’s news digest: hurricane season’s false start, the year’s first heat wave, and IKEA’s surprise closings.

Scientists Warn of Exploding—And Fast-Traveling—Tick Populations
If you’ve noticed an uptick in, well, ticks, you’re not alone. More and more individuals across the country, even as far north as beyond the Canadian border, have reported sightings. According to the New York Times, at least four types of ticks haven’t just been multiplying at alarming rates, but they’re also going beyond the limits of their typical preferred habitats. Deer ticks are expanding north; the longhorned tick is expanding westward from the East Coast; Gulf Coast ticks are expanding into more northern territory; and the lone star tick is similarly making the large leap from the South to the north, and have been found as far north as Canada.

That’s not the entire story. Ticks aren’t just moving into new areas. They’re also now staying active for a much longer period. In some places, if they stopped searching for someone or something to bite in the fall, they’re now only slowing down in the winter.

Scientists say that climate change is the primary driver of these trends. As the Earth warms, many places that were previously less hospitable to ticks are warming to the degree that they are now viable habitats. Their typical habitats are also getting warmer, so they can stay active for longer.

So what can you do about ticks? The best course of action is prevention. Tick bites can cause severe illness when the tick isn’t removed and the bite isn’t treated. Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome (an allergy to red meat) can all be caused by ticks—and cases of these illnesses have, alarmingly, been rising in recent years. Wearing long pants and long sleeves, and tucking your pants into your socks or boots and your shirt into your pants can significantly reduce your chances of a tick bite. Using tick repellents containing DEET can also be effective. And lastly, remember that ticks can be present nearly anywhere, and are just as likely to be found in parks and in your backyard as they are in wooded areas.

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Today and every day, we're thankful for the trust you place in us to keep your furry family members happy and healthy. Wishing you and your pets a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving!

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We are currently aware of the recent upper respiratory virus going around within the canine community. Although there is unfortunately not much information regarding the diagnoses of this virus, we know it has been spreading fluently in highly dog populated areas.
With the upcoming holiday we know a lot of our clients will have their patients at boarding facilities in the area. As a boarding facility ourselves we are spending a great deal of time ensuring we are keeping everything cleaned and sanitized to the best of our ability. That being said, no vaccination is 100% effective and there is always the chance for the transfer of a virus. If your pup is visiting any boarding facility or will be in a highly dog populated area coming up, please keep an eye out to make sure they are not displaying any signs of illness. Please contact us within 24 hours of your pup showing any signs of a respiratory infection as it is important to treat illness as quickly as possible. Some of the things to be on the look out for are:

-Lethargic
-Sneezing
-Vomiting
-Coughing
-Wheezing
-Congestion

What You Need To Know About Mystery Canine Illness - Videos from The Weather Channel A canine illness with a lot of unknown factors is spreading. First spotted in Oregon, veterinarians think the illness is very contagious. There are some things you can do to protect your pets. - Videos from The Weather Channel | weather.com