How to Recognize Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Symptoms
Look for tick bites., Take outdoor activity into account., Inspect your dog for ticks., Track the time since being bitten.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Look for tick bites.
Tick bites are often painless, and you may not have noticed if you were bitten.
Tick bites can be very small.
Look over your body carefully.
A bite will look like a swollen red bump.
There will be a raised, red circle around this bite. (If you do not see the red circle, you may have been bitten by a different insect.) This bite may or may not itch., You may have picked up a tick while outside.
Ticks frequently live in wooded areas or tall, damp grasses.They will often cling to your legs as you walk through the grass.
If you were hiking in tick infested areas or if you were walking through tall grass, consider the possibility that you may have bitten without knowing.
Tick bites are more common in the spring and summer., If you suspect you have RMSF but you are uncertain how, you may want to see if your dog has ticks.
Dogs can pick up ticks while playing outside, but their fur will often disguise the bugs.
These ticks can then crawl off your dog onto your furniture or your skin.
Carefully run a gloved hand or brush against your dog’s fur so that you can see their skin.
You may feel a swollen tick before you see one.
If you find a tick, remove it from the dog with tweezers, and drown the tick in a glass of water.Take your dog to the vet so that it can receive treatment for the ticks.
Be sure to carefully check the dog’s head, neck, ears, toes, and tail as these are the places ticks are most likely to hide.
Alternatively, if you have already determined that you have a tick bite, you may want to take your dog to be checked by the vet.
Just because you did not see a tick on your dog does not mean that there was no tick.
Ticks that have not fed are very small, and they may be hard to see. , If you know that you have been bitten by a tick, note when the bite occurred.
Initial symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever usually appear between two and fourteen days after you have been bitten by a tick. -
Step 2: Take outdoor activity into account.
-
Step 3: Inspect your dog for ticks.
-
Step 4: Track the time since being bitten.
Detailed Guide
Tick bites are often painless, and you may not have noticed if you were bitten.
Tick bites can be very small.
Look over your body carefully.
A bite will look like a swollen red bump.
There will be a raised, red circle around this bite. (If you do not see the red circle, you may have been bitten by a different insect.) This bite may or may not itch., You may have picked up a tick while outside.
Ticks frequently live in wooded areas or tall, damp grasses.They will often cling to your legs as you walk through the grass.
If you were hiking in tick infested areas or if you were walking through tall grass, consider the possibility that you may have bitten without knowing.
Tick bites are more common in the spring and summer., If you suspect you have RMSF but you are uncertain how, you may want to see if your dog has ticks.
Dogs can pick up ticks while playing outside, but their fur will often disguise the bugs.
These ticks can then crawl off your dog onto your furniture or your skin.
Carefully run a gloved hand or brush against your dog’s fur so that you can see their skin.
You may feel a swollen tick before you see one.
If you find a tick, remove it from the dog with tweezers, and drown the tick in a glass of water.Take your dog to the vet so that it can receive treatment for the ticks.
Be sure to carefully check the dog’s head, neck, ears, toes, and tail as these are the places ticks are most likely to hide.
Alternatively, if you have already determined that you have a tick bite, you may want to take your dog to be checked by the vet.
Just because you did not see a tick on your dog does not mean that there was no tick.
Ticks that have not fed are very small, and they may be hard to see. , If you know that you have been bitten by a tick, note when the bite occurred.
Initial symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever usually appear between two and fourteen days after you have been bitten by a tick.
About the Author
Dorothy Bailey
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: