Tick-borne diseases pose significant welfare risks to dogs and cats in the UK, with Lyme disease, babesiosis and other conditions becoming more prevalent as tick ranges expand with climate change.
Tick-borne diseases cause significant welfare impacts in affected dogs: acute pain from joint inflammation in Lyme disease, severe haemolytic anaemia in babesiosis, and neurological signs in less common tick-borne encephalitides. Prevention through reliable monthly tick control is straightforward and removes the welfare risk entirely. Owners who do not use tick prevention in endemic areas accept an avoidable welfare risk for their animals. The expanding geographic range of tick-borne diseases means previously low-risk areas now require prevention protocols.