BE WORRY ABOUT TICKS:
What’s the best way to prevent your dog from getting Lyme disease, and how do you get rid of it if it’s already infected? We know that ticks are the cause of Lyme disease. We also know that dogs carry ticks and can become infected with Lyme disease.
If you have a dog, you should be sure you’re familiar with the danger of ticks. Ticks are responsible for a number of health risks, including anemia, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Bartonellosis, and Hepatozoonosis.
When your dog is sick or has fleas or ticks, it’s hard to know exactly what they are dealing with, and you might not know until they are well again. The first thing you should do is check your dog for parasites or pests.
WHERE TICKS ARE LIKELY HIDING :
Tick-borne diseases can infect both people and their pets. You can be infected by having a tick attached to you, or you can get infected after being bitten and then letting a tick bite you.
Ticks can hide in a wide variety of odd places, including in or around your dog’s ears and eyelids, and in the fur at the base of their tails.
PREVENTION TO KEEP DOGS SAFE FLEA AND TICKS FREE:
Preventative Maintenance. There are tons of flea and tick control remedies available over the counter and through your vet. You can opt for collars, pills, liquids, and even topical treatments, and your vet can really guide you as to what remedy is right for your pet.
You should be able to control both fleas and ticks using one medication. But remember, not all products are created equal and the effectiveness of your flea and tick prevention medication will depend on a few different factors.
You should think about how many pets there are in your home. How often your pet is outside. The region in which you live. Also think about how safe it would be for you to administer flea and tick meds to your pet.
Contact your veterinarian if you have any concerns or questions about how to choose the correct flea and tick medication for your pet. The best veterinarians are always close to home, so make sure to call them today.
2) SHAMPOOING:
We all want to keep our pets tick free during peak tick season. There are specialty shampoos that will kill ticks on contact, but it’s always best to avoid getting products that are too strong. Read the label to be sure the product you’re using is safe for your pet.
Shampooing a puppy is a bad idea. After shampooing, you should apply a tick control repellent to your puppy. This will deter ticks from sticking to your puppy’s body.
Local veterinary hospitals offer dermatology treatments to prevent ticks. Visit local vets through Paw Print, where you can share and store all your pet’s health records all in one simple app.
MORE BEST TIPS TO PREVENT TICKS:
Here are some great tips to help you protect against ticks when you’re outdoors. Check yourself daily for ticks, and don’t forget about the armpits, groin, neck, hairline, and behind the ears, as well as the area between the toes.
Don’t forget about your children and pets. When you remove a tick, check them for ticks also. Check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks after coming inside: Inside and behind the ears, along your hairline, back of the neck, arms, legs, groins, and between your toes.
Look for ticks in the same areas. You can remove a tick by grasping it with tweezers and pulling straight out with steady pressure.
You should not apply kerosene, petroleum jelly, nail polish, or a hot match tip to remove the tick. These methods of removal are not effective and may result in injury. Circle the date and mark the location on the body the tick was removed.
A tick should be removed promptly by your health care provider. If you have been bitten by a deer tick, notify your health care provider. He or she may choose to treat you after a tick bite.
These measures are not effective and can cause injury. Write down the day, time, and location of your first deer tick bite. If your health care provider chooses to treat you following a deer tick bite, take the tick to your physician.
Tell your healthcare provider if you’ve been bitten by a deer tick or if you develop a rash, cough, or flu-like symptoms after being exposed to ticks. Be sure to tell your doctor if you develop a rash, fever, headaches, fatigue, sore and achy muscles, or any other signs of illness.
If you go out to an area likely to have ticks, stick to main pathways and the center of trails when hiking. Wear a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt with long pants, and tuck your pants into your socks. This is more difficult to do in the heat, but will keep ticks away from your skin and make it easier to spot ticks on your clothing.
Use bug repellents. They may help repel mosquitoes and other insects. You can use DEET products on your exposed skin. Permethrin can be used on clothing to deter mosquitoes. Follow the product’s instructions carefully and use DEET products at less than 35% on adults and 15% on children.
Use only insect repellents that are labeled for adults, not for children. Don’t use them in the woods or on trails. Follow the instructions on the bottle for best results. Wear a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt with long pants and tuck your pants into your socks.
Ticks are hard to see on warm, sunny days, but they are an important part of keeping ticks off of you and making it easier to spot a tick on your clothing. Use bug repellent. The most effective repellents contain DEET, which can be applied to your exposed skin.
Always follow the product directions when using permethrin. The product may have different amounts of DEET on it for different ages. It’s important to use repellents without any more than 30-35% DEET on adults and 10-15% DEET on children.
Read our fact sheet on Tick Repellents to find out more. Your vet will give you advice on how to keep your pets and livestock healthy.
