15981/3MARKET Lavington dog passport holder Nicki Jacques has warned fellow pet owners to beware where they take animals abroad after her own dog nearly died.

Ms Jacques and her partner, Paul Mills, took their flat coat retriever, Harry, when they visited Mr Mills' uncle's home in the south of France over Easter.

Ms Jacques said: "There are lots of woods around the house and we thought it would be perfect for taking Harry on walks.

"Unfortunately, there is lots of long grass there too and Harry would come back covered in ticks."

Mr Mills removed between 30 and 50 of the blood-sucking insects each time Harry came back from his walks but after a few days the three-year-old dog developed a temperature and became lethargic.

A French vet passed Harry as fit to travel but when Ms Jacques took him to Estcourt House Veterinary Centre in Devizes on their return, vet Andy Muckle diagnosed the dangerous blood disease babesiosis.

He put Harry on a course of medication and he has subsequently made a complete recovery.

But Mr Muckle said: "There is no doubt that Mr Mills picking off the ticks so quickly saved Harry's life. Spring is the worst time of year for ticks. There are a lot of deer in those forests and the ticks will probably have come from them."

As well as babesiosis, dogs are at risk of developing other potentially fatal diseases like heartworm, Leishmaniasis and Ehrlichiosis. Estcourt House has put together a travel pack for its clients including a plastic hook to remove ticks and anti-tick ointments.