Within the last month, Ken-Ton Animal Clinic has treated several dogs for tick bites.
Dr. Pete Freyburger is linking the problem to this new Tonawanda Bike Trail. He believes the blood sucking insects are living in nearby grass.
"And they wait for an animal or a person to come along and they feel the vibrations and then they jump on," Dr. Freyburger said.
There are two types of ticks. Dog ticks are often harmless. But deer ticks can carry a bacteria infection that could cause Lyme disease in pets and people.
"Lyme disease can be very severe. We see some positives in dogs and certainly I've heard of people contracting Lyme disease," Dr. Freyburger said.
You can protect yourself from the creepy crawlers by wearing deet repellant and long sleeves when outdoors. Also there are several preventative treatments for dogs.
"The old saying is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are two different oral medications they can take these days," the doctor said.
Experts say the best way to avoid ticks is to be more vigilant during the warmer months. They say that's when ticks are most active.
