Dog Tick Prevention and Treatment

Ticks are active scavengers who often choose the family dog as their
prey. They seek a good meal of blood and generally look for warm
targets to accommodate this need. Though they can attach to other
things like humans, ticks are particularly fond of dogs.

Ticks are an especially big problem for outside dogs, as the parasites
can fall out of trees and come from the deep grass to attach
themselves to dogs. Keeping dogs free of ticks is not an easy task and removing a tick
once it attaches to the dog can be even more difficult. There are a few things to remember
that can help in this regard, though.

Dog Tick Prevention

The easiest way to keep a dog away from ticks is to monitor the type of environment that
the dog encounters on a daily basis. If the dog is allowed to run around and play in
wooded areas consistently, there is a good chance that it will end up with ticks.

Ticks can be found in a lot of places, especially considering the fact that many people can
transport a tick on their body without even knowing that the tick is there. It's important to
understand that a higher concentration of ticks will be found in wooded areas, tall grass,
brush, and in places like the northeast.

If it's impossible to keep your dog out of these situations, then there are some solutions to
consider. Spraying a dog with anti-tick mixture is one option, though many people opt for
a full body dip into a similar solution.

These anti-tick treatments serve to coat the animal's body with chemicals that kill ticks
upon contact. If you aren't keen on dipping your animal in a pool full of chemicals, then
consider purchasing a tick collar, which will serve a similar purpose. Tick collars have
proven to be a very effective and cheap solution to resolving this problem.

Veterinarians can prescribe more powerful products if these over the counter products
don't do the trick. These medicines have a tendency to change a dog's behavior, though.
Be very selective about which drugs you choose and do all of the research on how it
could impact your dog's temperament.

Dog Tick Treatment

If a dog does happen to pick up some ticks, it isn't the end of the world. It's probably a
good idea to go ahead and remove them as quickly as possible, though. Ticks can often
carry diseases, including Lyme disease, which could be fatal to your animal. There are
many myths that people have come to accept in regards to tick removal.
Contrary to popular opinion, applying a lit match or recently lit match to the body of a
tick will not cause that tick to fall off. Once a tick locks in on its prey, it will not let look
until the meal is over. Because of this, the best way to remove a tick is by using some
tweezers of a new tick removal tool that is located at most pet stores. Apply slight
pressure to the tick as close to the head as possible. Pull on the tick to remove it.

Sometimes, this won't get the tick's head out of the animal's skin. In that case, don't worry
too much. Eventually, the dog's natural defenses will produce enzymes to get the tick's
head out of the skin. This is a generally non-fatal situation that dogs can go through and
survive. Tick removal can be tough, so it's best to just make sure the dog avoids them.

For more large dog health information, visit us at LargeDogBreedz.com.