Spring is here and temperatures are on the rise with each passing day. Spring is not the only thing that the warm weather is facilitating the rise of however, and ticks are once again on the move.

Dr. Charlotte Williams is a Veterinarian and owns Elrose Hooves and Paws, she is also the President of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association. She says, she's already had some horse owners coming in for tick medication.

"They are out there now because we've had some warm days," Dr. Williams said. "So now people should be watching for them and start their prevention plan because there is lots of good products out there."

Dr. Williams recommends pet owners and people trying to avoid ticks keep their grass short and remove leaves around their yard, as ticks like to hang around in tall grass and shrubs, waiting for an animal that comes close enough for them latch onto. She also recommends keeping wood piles and bird feeders away from your house and keeping deer and mice away from you property if possible.

"They like to move around on rodents and birds, so you want to keep the rodent population down if you are on an acreage. On an acreage you also want to keep the deer out of your yard because the ones that carry Lyme disease are the deer ticks."

Although Dr. Williams pointed out that there are not many deer ticks in Saskatchewan, it is still certainly something people should be mindful of.

"The ones we have mostly in Saskatchewan fortunately are not the deer ticks, they're the dog ticks. They don't carry Lyme disease and 94 per-cent of the tick population (in Saskatchewan) are dog ticks but it's that 6 per-cent people are concerned about that carry Lyme disease and other tick-born diseases."

Fortunately as Dr. Williams mentioned, there are several ways to protect yourself, your family and your animals from ticks. It is recommended that before venturing out into any possibly tick-infested areas you apply bug spray containing DEET. As for pets, there are a number of options available from topical options that stop ticks from biting, to oral medication you can feed your pet that kills ticks once they have their first meal. It's always best to consult with your veterinarian before taking any of these measures as over the counter tick medication is not as effective.

The number one thing to keep in mind when removing a tick from yourself or a pet, is to make sure you remove the entire tick. If you pull out its body and the head remains, it could easily cause an infection. Use tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull the tick straight out as close to the insects head as possible. Once the tick is removed clean the area with soap and water.

Afterwards if you can send the tick to you local veterinarian office or call in and ask where to send them in for testing. Just make sure you store the tick in a plastic container with rubbing alcohol.

It takes equal parts prevention and reaction to avoid contracting any tick-born illnesses. Again, just make sure to consult your veterinarian before deciding any plan to keep your pets safe.