Some dogs experience serious side effects with these treatments, and many dog parents fear that these medications are toxic and will harm their dogs. Active ingredients can include permethrin, imidacloprid, pyrethrin, or fipronil. Frontline and Advantix are popular brands. Some will also kill fleas, but not all, so read the label carefully. You apply a small bottle of solution to the back of the dog - directions vary, as does the dosage based on the dog’s weight. These products are commonly used and are very effective. There are many treatments available to help keep your dog safe from ticks: Topical Treatments For Ticks Pet-approved insecticides may be used on your lawn to control ticks, but their benefits may be short-lived since some ticks spend part of their lifecycle underground, safely away from any treatment. To protect yourself, tuck long pants into your socks during walks in woods and fields, and wear a hat.Īround your house, be sure to keep tall grass mowed to discourage ticks from setting up camp in your yard. If you use a wide-tooth comb for fleas on your dog after a walk, chances are you’ll discover any ticks in the dog’s coat, too, and they’ll probably not have attached themselves yet. (Picture Credit: Denis Valakhanovich/Getty Images) This may help your vet run tests if they find it necessary. Your vet may want you to bring in the tick after you’ve removed and killed it.

You see symptoms of tick-borne illnesses, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, or tularemia.Įven if you don’t see these signs, it can’t hurt to call your vet after a tick bite, just to be safe.Your dog’s behavior or health changes after a tick bite.Redness or swelling at the site of the tick bite that lasts beyond two or three days after removal.One or more ticks can be seen deep in the ear canal.If your dog has a severe infestation, you should go to your vet for help right away. When these infestations are particularly severe, dogs can suffer from heavy blood loss.Įxtreme infestations can also happen to dogs who enter heavily tick-infested areas. This most often happens with homeless dogs who live outside or dogs who suffer from neglect. When this happens, the dog must be treated with an insecticide dip and may require multiple treatments to completely eradicate the ticks. Sometimes tick infestations become severe, with hundreds of ticks on the dog’s body. Luckily, ticks, unlike fleas, usually don’t spread beyond the dog or their bed although, they do present an obvious danger to other animals and people in the house. When your dog has had ticks, particularly a severe infestation, you’ll need to thoroughly clean their bedding area. You may wish to keep the dead tick in a container, just in case your vet asks you to bring it in for further testing. If not, it will likely come out on its own, but you should check with your vet for advice on whether to try to remove it or simply leave it and watch for signs of infection. If the head remains in the skin, you may be able to remove it with the tweezers. Pull straight outward - though occasionally vets recommend twisting clockwise. If the tick has already burrowed its head into your dog’s skin, use a pair of tweezers or a tool and gently grasp the tick by the head, not the body.

It’s best to wear rubber or surgical gloves when you handle ticks. Putting it in rubbing alcohol will do the job. Also, flushing it down the toilet will not kill it. If you find a tick, you can remove it with a pair of tweezers or tick removal tool.īecause the blood of a tick can be dangerous, don’t crush it between your fingers. By feeling your dog’s skin, you can find a tiny lump that feels much like a small burr, except you can’t brush or pull it off easily. Unfortunately, it’s often easiest to find a tick when it has already latched on.

Tick medicine for dogs