Abstract:
Dogs and cats play an important role in the spread of tick species and in the transmission of pathogens. Dermacentor
reticulatus occurs in areas by varied types of climate, vegetation and a high availability of potential hosts, while Ixodes
ricinus follows a similar seasonal pattern each year. This study was carried out between 2017 and 2021, where we
examined 189 canine patients of different breeds, aged between 2 months and 18 years. We collected 435 ticks which
were placed individually according to the animal in eppendorf tubes in ethyl alcohol and numbered, until morphological
identification. The collected ticks were predominantly adults with different feeding status, belonging to the species: Ixodes
ricinus (41.6%), Dermacentor reticulatus (57.7%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex (0.69%). Dermacentor
reticulatus was predominant, with two peaks of activity in spring and autumn. We also found 2 specimens of D. reticulatus
males, in January, outside the normal period of activity. The second species identified, Ixodes ricinus, shows three peaks
of activity, having the most intense period of activity in the spring months. The second peak is observed in summer, and
the third in autumn. The prevalence of the species Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex is low, of only 0.69% of the total
ticks collected from dogs.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tick infestations collected from canine
patients, in order to assess a possible change in the activity periods of the species.
