Ticks are four-legged insects that thrive in warm and highly vegetated areas. These could be around shrubs, grass and in the woods. These parasites can remain in waiting for up to one year without feeding. Dogs easily pick up ticks while they brush their bodies in tick-infested yards. So, it is critical to understand how to prevent tick bites and safely get rid of ticks you find on your dog.
How old does a puppy have to be to get flea treatment?
For pups younger than 7 weeks, you will need to groom your puppy with a flea comb or pick fleas off with tweezers. Products that kill fleas can be used only on 7 weeks older pups.
Since fleas can remove enough blood to make puppies anemic, confirm that your puppy’s gums are pink; if not, contact your veterinarian immediately for advice.
Flea and Tick Medications for Puppies
I would strongly suggest combing your puppies after every walk and also removing ticks as often as you find it is a lot better than below options for an infestation of ticks. Using chemicals on your puppies should be your last option. If the infestation is more, please consult the VET. Below are the handpicked options which clearly do what it says. When it comes to flea and tick medications, there are three types of options out there.
1. TOPICAL FLEA AND TICK MEDICATION FOR DOGS
Topical flea and tick medication, like shampoos, powders, Spray and spot-on treatments, eliminate fleas with varying degrees of success. Flea powders last up to one week, while shampoos kill fleas for about one day. Both only eliminate adult fleas and are best used when combined with pills or other treatment options.
Topical spot-on treatments are most effective, destroying adult fleas, larvae, and eggs and other parasites, and lasting about 30 days.
Popular Flea and Tick Topical Treatments for Dogs Include
Advantage II
- Eliminates flea infestations at all stages of the growth cycle
- Effective against lice, but does not kill off ticks
- Administered monthly, lasts up to 30 days
- The waterproof one hour after application
- Minimum pet age: 7 weeks
- Ingredients include: Pyriproxyfen
Frontline Plus
- Kills ticks, chewing lice, and fleas at all stages of growth
- Eliminates fleas in up to 12 hours
- Used monthly, effective for 30 days
- Waterproof
- Minimum pet age: 8 weeks
- Ingredients include: Fipronil, S-methoprene
K9 Advantix II
- Effective against ticks, lice, biting flies, mosquitoes, and fleas at all stages
- Begins working within 12 hours
- Applied monthly, lasting up to 30 days
- Minimum pet age: 7 weeks
- Ingredients include: Imidacloprid, Permethrin, Pyripoxyfen
Vet’s Best Flea & Tick Pet & Home Spray
- kills fleas, flea eggs, and ticks by contact, without harsh chemicals
- Begins working within 15 minutes
- Use carefully away from pups eyes
- Minimum pet age: 12 weeks
- Ingredients include: peppermint oil and eugenol (from clove plants)
2 . FLEA PILLS FOR DOGS
Flea pills for dogs typically guarantee the most successful in fighting off parasites, but there are a few points to consider when choosing this treatment. Some orally administered drugs will require a prescription from your vet and can come with side effects. And oral pills typically target either flea eggs or adult fleas, but not both, so you may have to pick up several drugs to eradicate the infestation. Currently, there are no oral medications that destroy ticks.
Flea pills are the fastest way to eliminate these pests, with some treatments killing off infestations within four hours. If your dog doesn’t like swallowing capsules, look for oral medications available in chewable tablets.
Popular Flea Pills for Dogs Include
Capstar Flea Killer
- Kills off flea infestations within 6 hours
- Administered daily, effective for 24 hours
- Minimum pet age: 4 weeks
- Ingredients include: Nitenpyram
- Sold over the counter
3 . FLEA AND TICK DOG COLLARS
Flea and tick collars are most often used to prevent parasites from taking up residence on your pet. While preventative dog collars are most effective, some varieties of collars can also treat infestations by eliminating pests and their eggs via chemicals released into your dog’s skin. Look for the word “kill” on the package to ensure that the collar will treat an infestation, not just prevent it.
But they become less effective after getting wet. When fitting the collar, make sure it’s quite loose enough for the puppy to breath easily. At least two fingers of gap required between neck and collar. Choose the collar accordingly based on size – like large breed, small breed.
Seresto Flea and Tick Collar
- Eliminates fleas and ticks
- Prevents and treats pests for up to 8 months
- Available in small and large sizes
- Minimum pet age: 7 weeks
- Ingredients include: Flumethrin, Imidacloprid
“Be on the watch for ‘Flea Dirt’, little black specks usually found on a dog’s belly or around the tail.”
How to remove ticks from your puppy?
Some of the favorite spots for ticks is head, behind and inside ears, between tows where ever puppy can’t reach to scratch.
When ticks feed, they insert barbs into the skin. It’s very hard to pull it completely. If you try to pull them you will end up with a headless tick.
Follow these steps if you find ticks already feeding on your pup
- For safety reasons, in order to prevent spreading disease use gloves or a tissue.
- Make the Tick stun for 30 seconds by applying a drop of mineral oil over it
- Use blunt nose tweezers press down on the skin on either side of the tick
- squeeze the skin surrounding the tick tightly, turn the tweezers clockwise and remove the tick with its head out.
- A tiny bit of flesh/blood comes out for your pup. It can be a bit painful.
- Sometimes tick’s head remains buried, don’t worry the skin will either absorb it or eject the foreign matter in a day or two.
How to dispose of the tick?
Not only disposing the tick but destroying is quite important. Ticks are extremely hardy survivors, crushing them between your fingers is not recommended. Ticks spread a lot of diseases and you don’t need to be in contact with that.
Let’s see how to dispose and destroy the tick safely :
- Flush them: Check carefully tick is flushed and is not stuck to the side of the bowl. Flushing is the easiest way to destroy ticks.
- Alcohol or bleach: Submerge the ticks in one of these liquids.
- Burn: collect all the ticks into a small jar or container and burn them to destroy them. I know this is more barbaric of all, but your family is first.
“Use flea comb to remove ticks after every walk, before they dig in.”
When it’s time to see a vet?
Sometimes tick infestations become severe, with hundreds of ticks on the dog’s body. When this happens, the dog must be treated with an insecticide dip and may require multiple treatments to completely eradicate the ticks. If your dog has a severe infestation, you should go to your vet for help. If you find your pet is experiencing loss of appetite, fever or lameness.
why is flea and tick prevention important?
Ticks and fleas are two of the most prolific and annoying pests that afflict pets across the nation. But we have many prevention medications available, so no need to worry unless we act timely.
1 . Flea Allergy Dermatitis
The primary reason to protect your dogs from fleas and ticks is to prevent them from getting sick from the diseases transmitted by these pests. Many dogs are allergic to flea saliva. An infestation can result in copious hair loss and massive secondary skin infection.
just one bite, they can experience extreme skin discomfort. Pets who suffer from flea allergy dermatitis will experience redness and irritation at the bite site. If your pet continues to pick at the bite, they may create a skin infection or unwanted hair loss.
2 . Fleas also carry the cystic form of the tapeworm
A dog will eat their fleas to relieve their itchiness. Tapeworms linger inside your pet’s digestive system, attaching to the intestinal lining and living inside of your beloved pooch.
3 . Keep your pet happy
Even if a flea or tick bite doesn’t make your four-legged friend sick, the bite is still going to make them uncomfortable and unhappy! Flea and tick bites are itchy and painful. Keep these pests off your pet with the proper medication.
4 . Keep yourself happy
Protecting your pets from fleas and ticks is bound to keep you happy and comfortable, too. From finding fleas and ticks on your carpet to having bites on your skin, or even getting Lyme disease, fleas and ticks in your home can cause all sorts of problems.
What Is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can affect humans, dogs, cats and other mammals. Its primary carrier is the deer tick, which often feeds on rodents in its early stages. Later, the tick can attach to a dog or human and transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Clinical signs include depression, swelling of the lymph nodes, loss of appetite and fever, as well as lameness and swollen, painful joints. Renal failure can also be a consequence of Lyme disease.
What to do if you think your dog has Lyme disease?
Bring your pet to a veterinarian, who will evaluate your dog for Lyme disease. This includes a physical exam, blood tests and possibly radiographs.
Lyme disease is most often effectively treated with antibiotics. With prompt, proper treatment, your dog’s condition should start to improve within 48 hours.
How to Prevent Flea and Tick Infestations
Prevention is better than cure. Need to keep fleas and ticks from bothering your puppy. Let’s discuss few precautions, to prevent infestation in the first place.
Make your home less inviting to fleas and ticks, here are three steps to help.
1 . Trimyourbackyard – Avoid tall grass
Keeping the yard free from tall grass and shrubs is the first thing. If there are fewer areas for these parasites to live and breed, there will be fewer of them to be concerned with.
2 . Comb your puppy
When they, come home brush with the flea comb, reducing the number of pests it carries. If you have a long-haired pet, it’s easier for pests to hide there.
So consider having your pet shaved down for the summer, making it easier to spot problems. Regularly running a flea comb throughout your dog’s coat to check for fleas. Also, be on the watch for “flea dirt,” little black specks usually found on a dog’s belly or around the tail.
3 . Vacuum at least once a week
The three stages of immature fleas (flea eggs, larvae, and pupae) often live in carpeting or throw rugs. Fleas avoid high-traffic areas, so be sure to hit baseboards, under furniture, under cushions, and anywhere your pets sleep or spend time.
If your pet rides in your car, vacuum your car, too. Also wash your pet’s bedding, crate, and toys in hot water weekly to kill flea eggs and larvae.
How can I control fleas and ticks in my yard?
Cut the tall grass, trim back the bushes and shrubs, then rake up all the leaf litter under the bushes. Leave it just bare ground. There are some lawn and garden insecticides that are approved by the EPA to be applied under shrubs, under bushes, in crawl spaces, along fence lines, to control fleas and ticks outside.
The big issue I see is people tend to go out and start spraying their grass. That’s not effective and it’s certainly not good for the environment. Fleas and ticks are really sunlight and humidity sensitive. Most situations where we find them are under shrubs, under bushes, under porches, in shaded, protected habitats.
So we should only be applying those compounds in a limited fashion under those locations. Then we’re going to let it dry on the foliage for three to four hours before we allow our pets and our children back out there.
