America's Tick Problem Is Growing: What Pet Owners Need to Know in 2026

America's Tick Problem Is Growing: What Pet Owners Need to Know in 2026

If it feels like you're hearing more about ticks this year, you're not imagining it.

Across much of the United States, tick activity is off to an unusually aggressive start. Public health officials are reporting higher-than-normal tick exposure rates, while medical experts are warning pet owners and families to take preventive measures earlier than usual.

For dog owners, that's especially important because our dogs go where we go. They join us on hikes, camping trips, neighborhood walks, road trips, soccer games, and backyard adventures. Unfortunately, those same places are often where ticks are waiting.

Why Are Ticks Such a Concern?

Ticks are more than just a nuisance.

They can transmit a variety of diseases and health risks, including:

  • Lyme disease
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever
  • Ehrlichiosis
  • Anaplasmosis
  • Babesiosis
  • Alpha-gal syndrome

According to the CDC, Lyme disease alone results in an estimated 476,000 diagnoses and treatments annually in the United States, making it the most common tick-borne disease in America.

Ticks are remarkably effective parasites. They can be difficult to spot, especially in their immature stages, and many species are capable of attaching to pets and people without being noticed for hours or even days.

What Is Happening in 2026?

Recent CDC surveillance data shows emergency department visits related to tick bites are running above historical norms in much of the United States.

In fact, weekly emergency room visits for tick bites are currently at their highest levels for this time of year since at least 2017 in most regions of the country.

Medical experts are concerned that increased tick activity early in the season could translate into higher exposure rates and a greater risk of tick-borne illness as summer progresses.

While several factors contribute to year-to-year tick populations, warmer temperatures, changing weather patterns, expanding wildlife populations, and increased outdoor activity continue to create favorable conditions for tick survival and spread.

Why Dogs Are Especially Vulnerable

Dogs spend time exactly where ticks thrive:

  • Tall grass
  • Wooded trails
  • Parks
  • Campgrounds
  • Backyards
  • Fields and brush

And unlike people, dogs don't perform their own tick checks.

Many pet owners don't discover a tick until it has already attached, fed, and potentially exposed the dog to disease-causing organisms.

Even indoor dogs are not immune. Dogs that spend only brief periods outdoors can still encounter ticks during routine walks or trips outside.

Prevention Is Better Than Treatment

The CDC consistently recommends prevention as the best defense against tick-borne disease.

Pet owners should:

  • Check dogs regularly after outdoor activities
  • Avoid high grass and brush when possible
  • Keep yards maintained
  • Remove ticks promptly
  • Use veterinarian-recommended flea and tick protection

The goal isn't to avoid adventures.

The goal is to enjoy them with confidence.

Protect Their Everywhere

At Tevra Brands, we believe dogs belong in our everywhere.

Our morning routines.

Our family photos.

Our road trips, camping trips, soccer games, and weekend adventures.

Ticks don't belong in any of those places.

That's why Activate® II for Dogs provides powerful flea and tick protection using the same active ingredients found in K9 Advantix® II while helping pet owners save compared to many leading brands.

Activate II helps protect dogs against:

  • Fleas
  • Ticks
  • Mosquitoes
  • Biting flies
  • Lice

Because your dog belongs everywhere.

Ticks don't.

Protect Their Everywhere with Activate® II for Dogs.

Learn more about Activate II and our full line of pet wellness products at TevraPet.com.

 

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