Ticks and other Parasites
Spring - tis the season for all 4-legged creatures to enjoy wet, warm and wonderful... and to come under attack!
There are many different parasites that can pose a threat to your pet. Fleas, ticks and lice, to name a few. All are blood feasting and all transmit disease. Fleas can transfer viral and bacterial disease to both humans and dogs. Ticks can cause all sorts of illness including Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Even if no diseases are transmitted, they can become infestations both on the dog and in the house in no time.
Obviously, with all of these problems, we want to prevent our dogs from acquiring any of these parasites. It is however, overwhelming to wade through all of the options to help protect our pets from these parasites.
To help with some of the preventatives on the market, we'll break them down into two major categories, chemical and natural.
Chemical Flea, Tick and Lice Prevention
- Advantage is a popular flea treatment, but only prevents fleas and lice. It does not repel ticks.
- Advantix provides treatment against fleas and ticks
- Revolution prevents flea infestation in addition to ear mites, mange, heartworm and ticks
- Frontline Plus prevents fleas and ticks
Natural Flea, Tick and Lice Prevention
What to do if you find an attached Tick
McCann Professional Dog Trainers Proper Tick RemovalThere are commercial products you can buy that help you remove ticks. Alternatively, you can use a pair of tweezers to pull the tick out. The goal is to remove the tick fully intact and not leave the head in your dog's skin. Squeeze the tweezers on the tick as close to the skin as you can and remove by applying gentle pressure straight up. Do not turn the tweezers as this may cause the head to dislodge. Do not pull sharply or straight out as this will likely cause the head to detach from the body and be left embedded in your dog. This can cause irritation or infection. Be aware of any method that may cause the tick to vomit before releasing - things like rubbing it with cotton or applying soap work, but these methods will often will result in the tick regurgitating before letting go and emptying toxins back into the host.
Once the tick is removed, you can kill it by crushing, flushing, closing in tape or drowning in alcohol (Vodka for example). Thoroughly cleanse the area the tick was removed from.
Avoiding Ticks
The best option is to avoid densely wooded or areas heavy with long grass. Ticks don't jump, rather they grab hold of their hosts as they pass by. Sticking to areas with short mown lawns will help avoid some ticks. You can also use a spray that makes it difficult for ticks to grab hold of you or your dog or spray yourself and your dog with a bug repellent with DEET. Check your dog thoroughly with your hands or a flea comb after walks through forested areas to catch any ticks before they attach.
Best of luck to you this Spring!