Protect yourself—and your dog—from Lyme disease with these tick-fighting tips

While ticks are generally more prevalent in the United States, they’re showing up in Canada in droves this year. And although tick bites themselves are usually painless, blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis, formerly called deer ticks) are carriers of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, which can cause Lyme disease. When caught early enough, the disease, which attacks the nervous system, brain, and heart, can be cured with antibiotics. But if left for too long, it can be incurable—all the more reason to take precautions against these pernicious pests!