Fleas, Ticks & Parasites: What You Need to Know in Alberta

The Independent Vet — Season 1, Episode 5 Released April 4, 2026

Featuring: Dr. Beth Barrett, DVM — Barrett Veterinary Practice  Host: Michael Dargie  Runtime: ~40 minutes

Episode Description

Spring has arrived in Alberta — and so has tick season. In this episode, host Michael Dargie gets the full picture from Dr. Beth Barrett, DVM, on the creepy crawly world of fleas, ticks, and parasites that every Alberta pet owner needs to understand.

Triggered by a listener letter from a panicked dog owner who found a tick after the season’s first warm walk, Michael and Dr. Beth break down exactly what these parasites are, how they find your pets, what diseases they carry, and — most importantly — how to stop them. Dr. Beth brings her signature warmth and candour to a topic she openly admits she “hated in vet school” but takes very seriously.

From the surprising fact that ticks are already active above +4°C in Alberta, to the 95/5 rule for flea infestations, to why you should never use a lighter on an attached tick — this episode is packed with practical, science-based guidance you won’t want to miss as the weather warms up.

Timestamps

Key Takeaways

Ticks

• Ticks become active at temperatures as low as +4°C — tick season in Alberta now starts in early spring, not just summer.
• Tick populations in North America are moving northward at approximately 35–55 km per year. Areas in Alberta that never had ticks now do.
• Ticks don’t jump — they “quest”: clinging to grass or leaves with their back legs, arms outstretched, waiting for a warm body to brush past.
• Check your dog behind the ears, around the groin, under the armpits, and on the eyebrows (a surprisingly popular spot on Golden Retrievers).
• A tick grows up to 100 times its original size as it feeds — from a few millimetres to the size of a grape.
• The real danger is in the tick’s saliva, which can transmit tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease.
• The Rocky Mountain wood tick, found in Alberta, carries a neurotoxin in its saliva that can cause tick paralysis — starting at the dog’s back end and moving forward. Removing the tick within 24–48 hours typically leads to a full recovery.

How to Remove a Tick Safely

• Use a proper tick removal tool — a small fork-like device that slides under the tick and gently encourages it to back out.
• Do NOT use Vaseline, a lighter, heat, or twist the tick. These methods can cause the tick to regurgitate its stomach contents into your pet, increasing disease transmission risk.
• Do NOT pop the body off — if the head remains embedded, it can cause infection and inflammation.
• Once removed, save the tick in a zip-lock bag and photograph it. Upload the photo to eTick.ca for free species identification.

Fleas

• Alberta is too cold for the common cat flea. The most common fleas here are wildlife fleas — primarily from coyotes, foxes, and skunks.
• The 95/5 rule: 95% of a flea’s life cycle is spent off the host — in your carpets, bedding, and as eggs waiting to hatch. The adults you can see are only 5% of the problem.
• Finding one flea means there could be 20 more in your home environment at various life stages.
• Treating a flea infestation requires a minimum of four months of prevention medication, plus environmental treatment at home.
• Cats are fastidious groomers and may not scratch visibly — check for “flea dirt” (dark brown specks that turn red when wet) using a fine-tooth flea comb.
• Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is a real condition — some dogs develop an intense allergic reaction to flea bites.

Prevention & Treatment

• Over-the-counter flea collars and topicals containing pyrethrins and permethrin are generally less effective and carry more toxicity risk — especially for cats.
• Prescription-only flea and tick products from your vet are safer, more effective, and use newer drug categories.
• A new injectable tick prevention is now available in Alberta that provides 12 months of protection — ideal for dogs that are difficult to medicate monthly.
• Natural remedies (essential oils, diatomaceous earth, garlic) are not proven to be reliably effective. Essential oils in particular can be toxic to cats.

Myth or Muzzle?

“If my pet isn’t scratching, they don’t have fleas.”

MUZZLE — This is a myth.

Cats are expert groomers and often remove adult fleas before you’d ever notice any scratching. You can have a significant flea problem in your home without your cat showing obvious signs. Dogs can also carry fleas without scratching — though dogs that develop flea allergy dermatitis will scratch intensely. Check for flea dirt regularly, especially if your pet has been around wildlife.

Ask Dr. Beth

“I found a tick on my dog and removed it. How do I know if it transmitted anything? Do I need to take him to the vet?”

First, save the tick in a zip-lock bag or small container. Then photograph it and upload it to eTick.ca — a free Canadian program that identifies the species and tells you whether it’s capable of transmitting disease. Species matters enormously: not all ticks carry Lyme disease.

Watch your dog closely over the next 3–4 weeks for: lethargy, loss of appetite, sore or swollen joints, fever, weakness in the hind end, or a target-shaped red area at the bite site.

The longer the tick was attached, the greater the risk of disease transmission. If you’re unsure how long it had been on, or if you’re having trouble removing it, get your dog seen by your vet.

And if you ever see sudden weakness starting in the back legs of an otherwise healthy dog — even if you didn’t spot a tick — do a thorough check. Tick paralysis from the Rocky Mountain wood tick is curable if caught quickly.

Resources & Links

Barrett Veterinary Practice Dr. Beth Barrett’s practice — for tick and flea prevention products, parasite screenings, and all things pet health.

• 🌐 barrettvet.ca
• 📞 403.860.5763
• ✉️ drbarrettvet@gmail.com
• 📸 @barrettveterinarypractice

Tick Identification & Surveillance

• eTick.ca — Canada’s free tick identification program. Photograph a tick, upload it, and receive species ID and disease risk guidance. Dr. Beth’s first recommendation after finding a tick on your pet.
• Alberta Lyme Disease & Tick Surveillance Program — Alberta’s submit-a-tick program, tick removal guidance, and annual surveillance data.
• Alberta Passive Tick Surveillance Dashboard — Interactive, annually updated data on tick activity and geographic distribution across Alberta.
• Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance in Canada — The Public Health Agency of Canada’s national dashboard.

Additional Alberta Resources

• Alberta Animal Health Source — Ticks in Alberta — Plain-language guide to tick risks and prevention for Alberta pet owners.
• Alberta SPCA — Ticks & Fleas — Guidance on protecting your pets from external parasites.
• Ticks on Companion Animals in Alberta — Annual surveillance reports from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Always consult your veterinarian for medical advice specific to your pet.