Protect Your Pets from Ticks - Heres What You Can Do August 01 2022
No matter how well you take care of your dog and how much you clean up, dogs are prone to tick bites and infestations. One of the reasons is how much they like to run through tall grass, weeds, and brush. If there are ticks in the grass or weeds, they will attach to the dog and often thrive unnoticed. If you live anywhere ticks live, you'll probably have to deal with canine tick bites sooner or later.
In this situation, you must know the best ways to prevent or eliminate them. Here's what you can do.
How to Prevent Tick Infestations on Your Pet
1. Do a Daily Tick Check
Ticks attach themselves to the skin, but they are tiny. They are so small that you could miss the ones attached to your dog. It will be a whole lot easier to remove them if you find them early on. Doing a daily tick check on your dog is a good idea.
You can do this before you take your dog for a walk, after they’ve been outside for a few minutes, or even before they go to bed. If you are inside, take a flashlight and look at their belly, legs, behind their ears, and other places where ticks like to hide.
2. Remove Ticks Right Away
When you find a tick on your dog, you've got to remove it immediately. You don't want to wait before you remove them because they will get engorged with blood. If you wait too long, they will be more likely to bite your dog, making them more dangerous.
Remove a tick using a pair of tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Then, pull it out. You want to get them as close to the head as possible.
If you have problems seeing them, you can use a magnifying glass. Be careful you don't squeeze the tick. If you do, it will release more saliva into your dog, making them more likely to get a disease from it.
3. Use Tick Collars
A tick collar is the best way to prevent your dog from getting ticks. It’s a band that you can put around your dog's neck. These collars have chemicals that repel ticks from your dog.
How to Get Rid of Ticks
If you find your dog already with ticks, getting rid of them would be tricky. Here's what you can do:
1. Talk to Your Vet
Talk to your vet when you need to get rid of the ticks. They will know the proper way to prevent your dog from getting a tick infestation. They might recommend one or a combination of the other tips we have below.
2. Do Spot Treatments
To help prevent a tick infestation, you can use a tick spot-on solution. It is a concentrated solution that you apply to the skin. It will kill the ticks on contact and is an excellent aid in removing those ticks you can see while doing the daily check.
3. Bathe Your Dog with Special Shampoo
You can use a special dog shampoo if you don't want the spot-on treatment. It is specially designed to help remove ticks. Follow the directions on the shampoo label and ensure you rinse it off thoroughly.
4. Give Oral Medications
You can give your dog oral medications if they have more ticks. You should consult your vet first before giving your dog any medication.
5. Use Flea and Tick Spray
If you have a tick infestation, you can spray your dog and the surrounding areas with a tick spray. It contains chemicals that will kill and repel ticks. Just make sure to use a safe one for your dog.
Conclusion
Dogs get bitten by ticks—it's a fact of life. Getting rid of a tick infestation can be tricky and painful for your dog. It would be best if you considered using any means necessary to eliminate them. Experts say that prevention is better than cure, and that's why you should do a tick check each time. If you want your dog to be healthy and happy, it’s worth the effort.
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