It may feel as though we have just got through a horrible winter but the reality is that, despite the wetness of the winter, it was not a particularly cold one.

The result of this may well be that this spring and summer our pets are going to be inundated with greater than usual numbers of a certain little visitor – the tick.

Already we are seeing lots of cats and dogs with ticks and I suspect this is just the beginning. Surrounded as we are by countryside containing plenty of deer, rabbits, sheep and other mammals this area is a hotbed for tick infestation.

So what do you do if you find a tick on your pet – or indeed on yourself? Firstly do not panic, secondly ignore all the old wives tales you have been told about getting them off. I have heard methods ranging from cigarette burns to vodka – from the mildly crazy to the downright dangerous.

The old wives are right in one respect – do not just pull them straight out – you could risk leaving the mouth parts behind. It is possible to gently twist the tick until it falls out but by far the best method is to use a ‘tick hook’ – a very cheap tool that you hook under the tick, twist and it comes away in one go.

I know we sell these tick hooks over the counter here at the surgery and I expect most vets do – so go and buy one now so you are armed for the summer.