Ticks are considered a frequent occurrence in dogs with the onset of heat. They not only deliver a lot of discomfort in the form of itching, but also cause serious damage to health. To protect your pet, you should choose the most suitable tick remedy for dogs.
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How do dog tick remedies work?
To date, there are a variety of tools against ticks and fleas. They differ in their principle of action.
All drugs on the market are divided into:
- Insectoacaricides that must enter the dog’s body and harm the parasite that bit the pet.
- Repellents, which include contact types of protection, in the form of sprays, drops, collars. The principle of their action is based on the content of insecticides in a small dosage, not dangerous for the dog, but deadly for the parasite.
- Also known is another option for protecting a pet from ticks - vaccination. It reduces the symptoms of diseases transmitted from parasites, and prevents the death of the animal.
Not a single parasite remedy provides a full guarantee. There is a percentage of bloodsucking that have developed resistance to any solution. To track which drug will be effective in relation to the pet, you need to leave the packaging of the purchased funds until the expiration date.
Note: if a live tick was removed from a dog, then the next time you need to treat it with a product with a different composition.
Choosing the right cure for parasites
To protect the dog and itself from ticks and the diseases that they endure, their appearance should be prevented. You can use modern drugs and folk remedies. Some of them kill insects, some paralyze.
All available options for protecting a pet differ in the form of release, cost, effectiveness, duration. Some are valid for no more than a week, others allow you to get a result within 3 months.
Effective In-Store Preparations
Today there is a variety of effective store products. In order to prevent poisoning of the animal, deterioration of his health, you should choose trusted stores, veterinary pharmacies, sites. The following are safe and effective medications.
Drops, solutions, sprays and tablets
The most popular remedies include drops. They are applied to the withers of the animal. Dog's coat must be dry. The active substances applied to the skin, scare away bloodsucking and destroy existing fleas. The validity of the drops is 3 weeks. The first week is the most effective.
Important! To get the most effective protection against ticks, the dog should not be exposed to water for 2 days.
In order not to harm the health of the dog, it should be weighed and based on the mass, calculate the required number of drops. If you exceed the norm specified in the instructions, then side effects may occur, but a smaller amount will not lead to the desired result.
The drug is applied to the skin. If the pet is large, then the composition can be distributed along the ridge. It is important that the animal does not reach the treated area with the tongue.
The most popular funds include:
- Front Line, which is widely used as a remedy for ear mites;
- "Advantix" protecting from different types of insects;
- "Practitioner", also used to treat parasitic dermatitis.
A new development is the means in tablets, which eliminate all known types of parasites. These drugs act instantly. Within 3 hours after administration, the active components are found in the circulatory system. All existing fleas and ticks die immediately.
Mites in tablets are not toxic, which is why they are allowed to be taken by an elderly, weakened pet, young puppy, pregnant or lactating female.
The active substance, penetrating the body of an animal, dissolves in the stomach. Then it enters the circulatory system, after which the metabolites exit through the kidneys. In bloodsuckers who have bitten such a dog, nerve cells are blocked, which causes the death of parasites.
To protect your pet for several months, a single dose of the drug is required. Dosage calculation depends on the type of tablets. Typically, treatment requires between 25 and 50 mg of the drug per 1 kg of pet weight.
The following tablets are known on the Russian market:
- Front Line
- “Bravecto”;
- Credelio.
A water-based spray consists of active preparations and ingredients that help the solution better absorb into the skin without forming a greasy film. First of all, the components are applied to the withers, then the legs, tail, chest, stomach are processed. A small amount of solution is rubbed near the eyes, ears. The maximum dosage per 1 kg of body weight is 6 ml of spray. Long-haired dogs are calculated from the maximum allowable dose.
Note: after treating the animal with a spray, it is also necessary to treat its bed.
The most common sprays are:
- Foline;
- Fiprex.
Collars
Collars are considered the most effective method of combating superficial mites. But they are not always able to cope with subcutaneous parasites. In addition, the protection of such products from ticks is shorter than from other types of insects. This fact must be taken into account to ensure timely protection of the pet.
Flea collars are represented by flexible plastic tape treated with special components. Active substances are released by the drip method, thus impregnating the pet's hair. When using the tape, the tail region, the belly of the pet, remains vulnerable. In some animals, an allergic reaction in the form of redness, itching is possible.
The most popular collars in Russia include:
- Kiltiks. Its validity is 6 months.
- Foresto remains active for 8 months.
Collars are not indicated for use by puppies less than 3 months old, or by pregnant or lactating females.
Specialized shampoos
Shampoos from bloodsucking have a short duration. Usually they are used before a short stay in the fresh air. It is possible to use shampoo if you have to walk in a dangerous area, and the period of drops is running out.
Washing with a specialized solution is also advisable for washing off the grease film with the collected parasites. After bathing, as the coat dries, it is necessary to comb out dead parasites.
Also, this tool is used as an auxiliary.
The most popular shampoos are:
- "Dana";
- "Leopard";
- "Meadow".
Experienced dog breeders use combinations to protect against ticks in the form of a drop, collar, shampoo.
Tablets do not need to be insured by other antiparasitic drugs.
Folk remedies for ticks for pets
Not a single folk remedy for ticks for dogs can kill parasites. With their help, it is only possible to scare off insects. Therefore, if the pet is not treated with any of the chemicals described above, it is necessary to inspect it for ticks during a walk. The most attention should be paid to the ears, neck. If the animal spends the whole day outside, then the prepared "folk" solution must be treated every 2 hours.
Essential oils repel parasites well. But they can be unpleasant for dogs and even worsen their well-being. For sensitive, weakened pets, pregnant bitches, puppies, it is better to use tea tree oil.
To scare away ticks, you can also purchase ethers:
- cloves;
- thyme
- peppermint;
- geraniums;
- lavender.
The selected essential oil is applied to the withers. Some owners treat the collar with the drug to repel insects.
The most commonly used recipes include the following:
- From 50 g of wormwood and ½ liter of water, prepare a decoction. After cooling, pour it into the spray bottle. Prepared spray the animal before going out.
- From 1 tbsp. l clove oil, 1 tbsp. water, 30 ml of vodka to prepare a mixture, which and process the animal.
- Mix grated tar soap with a glass of water in which the essential oil is diluted. Before going outside, process the animal.
Contraindications and Precautions
To chemical and folk remedies for ticks, there are general contraindications.
It is undesirable to treat dogs:
- allergy sufferers;
- old and weakened by the disease;
- with wounded skin;
- under the age of 2 months.
Use with caution any such remedies in pregnant and lactating females.
When processing, it is important to strictly observe the dosage, make sure that the solution does not get on the mucous membranes, and that the animal does not lick it.
If the rules are not followed, side effects may develop in the form of:
- muscle tremors;
- lacrimation
- redness of the eyes;
- salivation;
- puffiness of the skin;
- itching
- redness.
If after treatment the pet has undesirable reactions, it is necessary to wash off the applied composition with soap as soon as possible. Then the dog needs to be washed with a special shampoo. If the pet feels unwell, it should be laid down, providing access to clean water. You may need to consult a veterinarian to administer drugs.
Preventive actions
To protect the dog from a tick bite will help a number of activities.
To avoid the attack of a pet by bloodsuckers, try:
- Do not walk it in places with dense vegetation, in damp terrain.
- Use pharmaceutical preparations that are applied to the withers so that the animal cannot lick them.
- Use a collar from parasites.
- Wash the animal with a specialized shampoo that will destroy existing bloodsuckers.
- Treat the dog with a spray if she rarely walks on the street, but she will have to travel to a place with dense vegetation.
- Do not combine different types of drugs to prevent poisoning of the animal. Most specialized products contain pesticides.
- Monitor the condition of the pet in the first day after applying the solution for a timely reaction in case of signs of poisoning.
Ticks are carriers of many diseases. To prevent infection of pets, veterinary pharmacies offer a wide range of drugs, among which it is easy to find one that suits your four-legged friend specifically.
