Have you ever heard of Flesh-Eating Bacteria? Ticks are almost the same, but they are parasites that live on the skin’s surface and suck blood from there. These parasites are from the mites group that live and reproduce by sucking blood.
These blood-sucking creatures are found everywhere and easily transmitted from one animal to another, and your infested pets can also transfer them into your h use. They are located on the ground and grass, and it is safe to say that they are found almost everywhere outside your home.
Ticks lay eggs to reproduce and can grow anywhere. They need warm conditions to grow, and summer is the ideal time for their growth.
What can you do to save your dog and house from getting infested? Well, you can consult Casa Canine to help you prevent or get rid of them.
There are some ways to prevent your dog from ticks. If your dog already has ticks, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. We’ve methods to get rid of the ticks as well.
Tick Prevention
“Prevention is better than cure.”
Before we talk about tick control, let’s discuss tick prevention first. The key to tick prevention is to stay alert; you must take preventative measures as soon as the weather changes.
There are a lot of options for effective tick prevention. Options include tick-repellent spray, collars, oral medication, shampoos, and foggers that have proven to prevent ticks effectively.
Before you jump on to your favorite prevention method, consult your vet to know about the possible allergies and irritations. Use products and medications that your vet approves.
Following are the things that you can do to prevent your dog from getting ticks:
Hygiene Is Your Way to a Healthy Fur Friend
A clean dog is a healthy dog. Keeping your dog well-groomed is one way to keep ticks away from your h use. Your dog gets ticks usually from dirt and mud, and these are the places where ticks grow and attach to your dog.
To prevent your dog from getting ticks, bathe them regularly, especially when playing outside. When off-leash, keep your fur family away from ponds and mud. Ticks are abundant in bushy areas, grass, and piles of dry leaves. Prevent your dog from getting near these places.
If your dog loves to stay outdoors, keeping a dog bedside is a good idea to keep them away from the ground.
Regular Checkups Can Save You From the Trouble
Ticks once start reproducing on your pet’s body, that is when it becomes hard to remove them. To avoid this situation, start checking up on your pet regularly for ticks.
Combing your pet’s hair and looking between its fur coat is enough for daily checkups. But to get a detailed inspection visit your vet regularly.
The best way to check your dog for ticks is to run your hand through its fur. The possibility of getting ticks will be minor if you give some minutes of your routine to check for ticks.
Medication
Different medications are available for your dog to prevent it from getting ticks. Medicines include vaccines, sprays, shampoos, collars, and ointments; some are oral medications.
Oral medication attaches to your blood receptors to kill ticks. They are considered to be tricky. They work by killing the tick before it causes any organ damage.
Topical medications like sprays, collars, and shampoos work by killing ticks on the surface of the skins. These topical solutions not only kill the ticks but also destroy the eggs of the ticks.
Another great way is vaccination. The vaccinations available for Lyme disease are particularly for dogs; if your dog is already infected, the vaccine will not work.
Prevent It From Entering Your House
You can prevent ticks from entering your house or attacking your dog by making it tick-poof. How can you do it?
As mentioned earlier, ticks grow in a bushy and muddy area. The first thing you should do is cut your grass short and keep it as short as possible to avoid tick growth. Keep your backyard dry and clean from mud.
Regular use of bug repellent will help keep the ticks away and destroy their eggs. You can also build a protective fence around your house or backyard to prevent any other animal that might carry ticks from entering your home.
If you’ve dog furniture in the backyard, keep it from getting infected by spraying bug repellent and washing it once a week.
Diseases Caused by Ticks
Ticks are not just blood-sucker parasites; they are the root cause of most skin diseases your dogs can get. Lyme disease is one of the most common chronic illnesses your dog can gain from ticks. The symptoms of Lyme disease are:
- Loss of Appetite
- Swelling of joints
- Lymph nodes swelling
- Fatigue
Other diseases caused by ticks include:
- Tick paralysis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Bartonellosis
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Infected ticks cause above mentioned diseases. These diseases are bound to happen if ticks are ignored for a long time. Only regular checkups and prevention medicines can save your dog from getting ticks, and once your dog gets ticks, it is hard to diagnose it until 6-8 months.
To Sum It Up
To keep tick infestation away from your house and your pet, the thumb rule is to keep it clean. Regular cleaning will save you a lot of money and effort.
If you see symptoms of tick infestation, take action immediately. The longer you, the more it will get worse. Ticks can result in multiple organ damage and fatal illnesses.
If you wish to know more about the medication and prevention, consult Casa Canine and get your queries answered. Moreover, visit your dog’s vet for regular deworming and tick prevention programs.
If your dog has a tick infestation, don’t try to remove it yourself. You can do it at home, but it is better to take help from an expert. Your vet will prescribe your dog medication according to the severity of tick infestation.
