VETS in Herefordshire have joined a project to tackle ticks and track the rising threat of Lyme disease.

Tick bites can transmit serious infections such as Lyme disease, a debilitating illness that can cause long-term health problems in dogs and people.

Now, Hereford’s veterinary practices are taking action by joining naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham and the University of Bristol in the Big Tick Project.

Dog owners can take their pets to participating practices in Herefordshire, including Belmont Veterinary Centre, Greenfields Vets, Arrowfield Vet Practice, Marches Vet Group and Bromyard veterinary surgery for a tick check and advice about innovations in effective tick control.

Any ticks found on dogs will be collected and sent to Bristol University laboratories to help advance the knowledge of tick-borne disease, benefiting both veterinary and human medicine.

Ticks are hard to spot when small but can transmit infections as they feed off the blood of their host.

Dog owners wanting to take part or find out more about the risks from tick bites can visit bigtickproject.co.uk or contact their nearest participating practice.