Tick Prevention For Dogs

With the weather warming up you may want to know more about tick prevention for dogs and how you can control it. Your dog should be protected against fleas all year round as they can cause havoc and can be serious if the dog is very young or old. By taking some preventative measures you can save a lot of money and time.

Here are some tips on what you need to do to starting from today. Make sure you clean your dog's bedding frequently, especially if you suspect that they have fleas or ticks. Bathe your dog in luke -warm water and find a shampoo that contains herbs instead of chemicals which can irritate your dog's skin.

Make a habit of grooming your dog frequently by using a tick and flea comb, this is a great way to know the condition of your dog's skin and it is also a great way to interact with your dog as well. If your dog spends their day in and out of your house it is a good idea to vacuum your house regularly. By vacuuming several times per week you can prevent any fleas and ticks from living in your carpet.

Here are some products to help treat and prevent ticks on your dog.

A flea and tick control for dogs is great all year round, fleas drink animal blood and can cause many problems to your pet such as skin irritation, redness, allergic reactions, anemia and also death. Even though this is rare it can happen so it is important to get your dog or pet well protected. Fleas also have parasites such as tapeworms which can be transferred to your pet, a sign that your dog has tapeworms is if you see rice like insects near the rectum.

To prevent fleas you will need to do everything that you do to prevent ticks, this includes using a fine comb to examine your dog's hair. A tip is to apply Vasaline onto the comb as the fleas will stick onto it. The areas to examine are between the dog's toes, upper legs, in and around the ears and under it's tail. When you give your pet a rinse lay out a white towel underneath, if your dog has fleas you will be able to easily spot them on the towel when you rinse.

If you locate a tick, make sure to remove it entirely by using tweezers. Be careful not to crush the tick's body and grab it as close to the dog's skin as possible, this is important as bacteria, infection and diseases can be transferred into your pets bloodstream. Give the tick a pull or twist and get rid of it immediately.

There are many tick prevention products that you can buy, some examples are Frontline, Advantage and K9 Advantix. These should be applied during tick and flea seasons once a month and by examining your dog once a day.

Are you looking for the best flea treatment for dogs? There are many different treatments, many are topical which gets applied on the back of the neck so your pet cannot lick it off. If you have a young dog a shampoo treatment works best and gets better results, you can also have oral treatments that have great success as well.

When using any product or remedy be careful as your pet may be sensitive to the toxins, if your dog has symptoms such as their ears twitching, diarrhea, excess saliva, depression or vomiting take your pet to your vet immediately. To prevent accidental poisoning make sure you read the instructions on every product, if using a spray first apply it to the brush than use it to brush your pet's coat evenly. Be careful not to spray anywhere near the dog's mouth. If you are using a product that is a liquid ,pour it over the animal and use a sponge to cover all areas, do not submerge your dog in the liquid.

Even if you do not find any fleas or ticks but suspect that they have a problem you can use a product to treat it, if you find any scabs on their skin, loss of hair or if your pet can't stop scratching take them to your vet. They can then carry out some tests to see if your dog has any bacterial infections or mites and get treatment for it. Tick prevention for dogs is needed to kill eggs and larvae of the pests so they are more likely not to return.