Ticks, Trails, and Talzeunies: Our Unexpected Spring Hike Surprise

Last weekend, I took Zeus and Talia out for what I thought would be a nice, relaxing spring hike. Poor Moonshine had to sit this one out—she’s been dealing with some arthritis, and longer walks just aren’t her thing these days. Our amazing vet at Modern Animal, Dr. Newhouse, has her on a couple of meds that help a lot, and she goes wild for these Hip & Joint jerky bites by Sportsman’s Pride that I picked up through Chewy. Seriously, she hears the bag and it’s like Christmas morning.

Still, no amount of treats makes it easy to leave her behind. It’s one of the hard parts of having dogs in different stages of life. But I promise—she’s still living her best life with all the cuddles, sunbathing sessions, and short backyard strolls her little heart desires.

So off we went—just the younger crew this time—to finally check out the Pulgas Water Temple. It’s been on my list forever, and the weather was perfect: low 70s, a mix of shady tree-covered trails and open sunny stretches. We did an easy five miles, in and out, and honestly? It was magical. The dogs were loving it, doing their usual sniff-everything-and-lead-the-way routine.

The trail I took follows along a reservoir, so there were plenty of little lizards and other critters hiding nearby. In classic Talia fashion, she was POUNCING on these things, head tilting like a madwoman every time something rustled. Zeus played it cool, and pretended he was only there to protect me. Okay, maybe it's not pretend, and man does he take his job seriously.

All was well, and I was happy to get out from behind my desk into the sunshine, until we stopped for water. That’s when I noticed the first tick on Zeus. I wasn't wildly surprised, considering the nearby water, the rainy weather we've had and the slightly wooded area. Not a huge deal—they’re all on Simparica and up to date on their preventatives—but still, ew.

It's usually Evan's job to do these things, but since he was away & I was on my own, I pulled it off, gave them both a quick look-over, and we kept hiking.

The views themselves were lovely, and we met a couple of cool characters along the way. I could have sworn I heard a couple of turkeys calling in the not-so-far distance. A thought that was confirmed when I rounded a bend, only to find two bird watchers arguing about whether or not they had just seen a turkey tail. I interjected my own thoughts, and they both looked at me like I had grown a second head—but I know what I heard!

There were also quite a few people jogging up and down the trail, which I found impressive. As someone who runs a few miles a day and hits the gym consistently, I like to think I'm in pretty decent shape. However, even I was puffing—and that was at a walk! So, hats off to those who tackled that feat!

Anyways, fast forward to the parking lot. I’m giving them another check before heading home, determined not to return with any additional passengers. To my disgust, I found a few more ticks. At this point, I heartily began counting the time until Evan would return home from training. Not just because we all missed him, but because touching bugs grosses me out.

Once we get home, I open the back of the truck to let them out… and my jaw dropped. Zeus’s head was covered in ticks. Like, full-on tick invasion. Deer ticks, American dog ticks—it was a little horror movie situation. I immediately gave them both a full brush and bath and spent the next two hours (yes, two) picking ticks off of Zeus and drowning those creepy little vampires in soapy water.

We hike a lot, and I’ve never—ever—seen anything like it.

To make it worse, a couple nights later I found a few more ticks just casually vibing in our yard. That has never happened before. So yeah... if this is what spring has in store, we might all be in for a very buggy year.

So here’s my PSA for all my fellow dog people: stay on top of your flea and tick prevention this season. Check your dogs after every hike. Don’t skip your monthly meds. And maybe start giving your own yard a once-over too—just in case the ticks have moved in.

After this wild ride, I’ve officially updated what goes in my hiking bag. My must-haves now include:

• Poop bags – Obvious, but still worth the reminder.

• Collapsible water bowl – Hydration stops are a must, especially when it’s warm.

• 1-gallon water jug – Enough for everyone, even the ones who spill.

• Flea & tick comb – I never used to carry one… but here we are.

• Treats for a hike well done – Because adventure snacks are sacred.

All in all, it really was an awesome outing. The weather was perfect. And while the tickpocalypse caught us off guard, we survived to hike another day (with a lot more combing). If you’ve got your own tick tales or prevention tips, drop them in the comments—I’ll be here with the dogs and a gallon of peppermint spray.

Oh, and Moonshine says thanks for the well wishes. She’ll be back to leading the backyard patrol tomorrow!