How Can I Best Protect My Dog from Ticks?

With relatively mild winters across many areas of the country, many pet owners are facing a higher-than average number of ticks, posing a serious threat to dogs. So, how can pet parents best prevent ticks from latching onto their furriest family members? Read on!

Dogs are very susceptible to ticks and tick-borne diseases. In its guide on how to check and remove ticks, Carrington College warns pet owners that ticks may transmit an illness within 24 hours after tick attachment while symptoms may take up to 21 days to show. Health problems indicating a tick-borne disease include difficulty breathing, neurological problems, anemia and arthritis. 

While it is wise to check your dog every single time it comes in from outdoors, there are also other ways to minimize the risk of having to deal with a tick infection. Following are some common tick prevention techniques that can save you the hassle of having to pull ticks out of your dog’s fur or take your dog to the vet because it has a life-threatening infection.

Pay Attention to Surroundings

Get rid of piles of leaves, tall grass and underbrush to deprive ticks of a place to live. You may also consider removing any outdoor furniture, equipment or toys from any wooded and leafy areas in your yard. You can also fog the yard to kill any existing pests that may have taken up residence there.

If you need to leave your dog at a kennel, choose a place with care. Brown dog ticks can hatch, live and breed indoors and your dog can easily catch these ticks from another dog or a sub-par kennel environment.

Use Preventative Treatment

Oral medication and tick collars are common tick preventatives. Topical treatments include powders, shampoos, sprays and insecticides. These treatments are made by various companies but each have the same end goal to prevent ticks and kill any that may attempt to call your beloved pet home. 

Alternatively, you may want to consider natural topical treatments. Herbal products using natural ingredients and may be the best option if your dog is allergic to active chemicals found in regular tick repellent treatments. Dog apple cider vinegar or garlic can also be effective in preventing tick infestation.

Keeping your dog tick-free can be a matter of life and death in extreme cases. Choosing environments with care and using effective tick repellents will reduce your chances of having to remove the nasty pest from your dog.

Checking for & Removing Ticks from Your Dog

Tick removal guide via Carrington College.

Carrington College provides vocational health training for people interested in nursing careers and veterinary technician careers. They provide “hands-on” training that uses the technologies and processes that are used in the field. Click here to learn more.