Vets are warning dog owners not to take their pets on holiday with them this Bank Holiday weekend due to an increase in the number of diseases - Alabama Rot, Babesiosis and Lyme disease - caused by ticks.
The first UK dog died from Babesiosis in Essex last month, while another canine died from Alabama Rot in South West London around the same time.
According to the Telegraph, the number of ticks has increased by 17% in the past ten years with incidences of Lyme disease increasing by 560% in seven years.
"[Babesiosis] is usually found in Europe but its presence in the UK is now a major concern for animal health," explained Dr Ian Wright, UK head of the European Scientific Council for Companion Animal Parasites.
"Although it will be almost impossible to stop its spread, pet owners travelling across the country with their pets may help accelerate the spread of the parasite from the south, underlying the need for greater awareness of the need to protect our pets.”
Urging pets owners to be extra careful, experts are asking them to check their dog at least every 24 hours and remove any ticks if found.
"Although clinical cases of Babesiosis have been confirmed in Essex, we are still unsure of the prevalence of this disease across the UK,” Professor Richard Wall, Professor of Zoology at the University of Bristol, told the publication.
"It is therefore wise for responsible pet owners to practice good tick prevention, to minimise the risk to their pet and to help prevent the spread of this disease across the UK."
Devon and the New Forest have been found as being the worst affected, with Exmoor, the South Downs, Thetford Forest, the Lake District, the North Yorkshire Moors and the Highlands following.
