Pets can contract Lyme disease: Sudbury vet

Up North6:41Vet talks about preventing ticks on pets

People aren't the only ones at risk of contracting Lyme disease, pets can also get infected.

A Sudbury vet is reminding pet owners to keep their furry friends safe from blacklegged ticks.

The insects can cause the serious illness known as Lyme disease.

Janice Vanneval, the owner of Lasalle Animal Clinic, said ticks need to be removed as soon as possible.

"You basically want to grab it very close to the skin and just roll the tick out," said Vannevel. "You don't want to be holding lighted matches to the tick or try to smother them out."

"You just want to pull them out," she said. "You don't want to squeeze the tick's body, and squish all the stuff in the tick."

Last week, a person in the Sudbury area found a blacklegged tick embedded in their skin. It tested positive for Lyme disease.