05/09/2025
PSA - PLEASE READ REGARDING THE TICKS THIS SEASON
This tick season has been particularly bad. With high tick burdens, pet owners will notice ticks on their pets.
Since the afoxalaner in Nexgard and Nexgard Plus is a systemic drug, the ticks will take a blood meal before dying. The afoxalaner in NexGard and NexGard Plus kills the tick within 48 hours. Lyme disease takes longer than 48 hours to be transmitted- both Nexgard and NexGard Plus are labeled by the FDA to prevent the transmission of Lyme disease. Sometimes, the tick may stay attached even after death due to a secretion called cementum.
Regarding the engorged ticks, engorgement is not a sign that a tick has been attached longer than 48 hours. Engorgement may vary from tick species to species and from male to female ticks. Owners are likely seeing the occasional engorged tick due to the high tick burden this year.
Please rest assured that those pets are protected from Lyme disease and those ticks are dead or dying.