Summer season in most parts of the country also means that it is tick season. Although your dog can pick up ticks any time of the year, ticks thrive in warm weather. Ticks can spread many different diseases to your dog, which is why you want to try your best to keep ticks off your dog in the first place. Here are your four best options for keeping ticks off your dogs this summer and throughout the year.
Option #1: Oral Medications
One of the best ways to keep ticks off your dog throughout the year is by giving your dog an oral medication. Many oral tick medications can also help prevent fleas. You can pick up these oral medications from your vet. Oftentimes, you can get a supply for an entire year all at once. All you have to do is add the pill to your dog's food and make sure that they eat it once a month.
Option #2: Spot-On Treatment
These treatments require you to rub the medication directly onto your dog in order to take effect. Generally, these types of medication instruct you to rub the medication around your dog's neck. Like the oral medication, most spot-on treatments are effective for about a month.
In order to protect yourself, make sure you wear gloves while applying this medication to your dog and make sure you wash your hands directly after you apply the medication. Try to not pet your dog for a few hours after applying the treatment; this will allow the treatment to soak into your dog's skin. If you have small children at home who frequently pet your dog, you may want to apply this treatment when they are not at home in order to keep them safe.
Option #3: Shampoo
If you give your dog a bath every few weeks, you should consider purchasing a shampoo that is designed to kill ticks on contact.
This is a great backup method; if any ticks manage to latch onto your dog, you can ensure that they will be killed when you give your dog a bath. For this to be an effective backup method, you should make sure that you give your dog a bath about every fourteen days or so. The shampoo should help keep ticks at bay during that time period.
Option #4: Tick Collar
Just like shampoo, a tick collar is a great back up method to use together with either an oral medication or with a spot-on treatment. Tick collars contain ingredients that your dog is able to absorb into their skin. Tick collars mainly keep ticks away from your dog's head and neck region. Make sure you read the instructions on any tick collar that you purchase; most are only effective for a set amount of time. After that period of time elapses, you will need to purchase a new tick collar in order to keep your dog safe.
Make sure that you treat your dog with either an oral medication or spot on treatment to keep the ticks at bay throughout the year. You should back up those methods with tick-repelling shampoo as well as a tick collar. The more proactive you are, the lower chance your dog has of coming in contact with any ticks and contacting one of the diseases that they carry.
Check out businesses like Pet Medical Center – Full Service Veterinary Care for more information.
Share31 July 2015
Hello, I’m Manuel. I would like to discuss the various services offered by veterinarians. Animals are creatures that do not always clearly convey when they are sick or in pain. Regular vet visits can ensure your pets are not quietly suffering from a medical condition without showing signs of a problem. Vets check the pet’s vitals and check for subtle signs of a problem to determine if additional diagnostic tests are required. I will explore the diagnostic process vets use for each health condition or injury. My site will also cover information about common treatments used for pets. Please visit again soon.
