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2020 National Tick Awareness Month Communication Material

Feb 5, 2020

EVERY SEASON CAN BE TICK SEASON

Extended tick seasonality is the main theme of the 2020 NTAM campaign, which drives home the message that "every season can be tick season" and emphasizes the importance of tick control even at times of the year when pet owners might think it's too cold for parasites to be active.Poster

The expansion of blacklegged ticks into Canada has been a real game-changer for veterinarians and pet parents. In just a few years, these parasites have gone from relative obscurity to being front page news. This rapid expansion creates a growing need for us to educate pet parents and update our parasite control protocols to address this emerging threat. 

"Because blacklegged ticks can be active anytime temperatures are 4ºC and above, we could say that they're 'parasites for all seasons,'" notes Dr. Melanie Hicks, President of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). "Yet despite that, many pet parents still think of parasite control as something to consider only during warm-weather months." 

"Trying to change people's perceptions and habits can take time," adds Dr. Hicks. "The fact that National Tick Awareness Month (NTAM) is in March, when temperatures are often at or above 4ºC, is significant in that it provides veterinarians with an ideal opportunity to initiate the 'tick talk' and ensure pets are adequately protected for the entire tick risk period."    

As in previous years, the CVMA and its NTAM partner, Merck Animal Health, have produced communication material and support tools to help veterinary teams highlight the unique seasonality of ticks, to provide pet parents with updates regarding the expansion of ticks across Canada, and to increase awareness of the One Health approach to tick control and Lyme disease prevention.  

Pet-owner engagement tools

  • An animated video (click to download) presenting the 2020 NTAM campaign's main theme: "Tick season can be every season." Found here: https://youtu.be/ZM0DpW7pz58. 
  • A poster highlighting the same theme, for display in clinics. A poster has been mailed to each clinic. Additional posters can be obtained from your Merck Animal Health representative. 
  • Ready-to-use social media posts, shareable videos and website content for use by clinics. 
  • The TickTalkCanada.com website, updated with new content covering the themes featured in the 2020 NTAM campaign. 
  • A poster highlighting the same theme, for display in clinics. A poster has been mailed to each clinic. Additional posters can be obtained from your Merck Animal Health representative. 
  • Ready-to-use social media posts, shareable videos and website content for use by clinics. 
  • The TickTalkCanada.com website, updated with new content covering the themes featured in the 2020 NTAM campaign. 

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