6 Tips to Protect Your Dog from Ticks
Do you have a dog who loves to spend time outdoors? Do you regularly check them for ticks? Do you know how to help your dog reduce the risk of ticks and stay safe even when enjoying their time outside?
As a pet parent, it’s very important to pay attention to ticks on dogs. Ticks can carry a variety of diseases, including Lyme disease, and may also cause infections when they bite your dog. In the article below, you’ll find tips and suggestions for protecting your dog from ticks and reducing these risks significantly, too.
1. Groom Often
Regular bathing can help you notice ticks on your dog’s body before they get too severe. Additionally, frequent baths can remove ticks that may have found their way into your dog’s fur but did not get all the way to the skin yet.
You should also keep up with brushing and trimming your dog’s hair to reduce the risk of ticks. If your dog’s hair is kept short, there is much less chance for ticks to latch onto their fur or find a way to their skin, so they will be at less risk of disease.
2. Check Your Dog Regularly
Check for ticks on your dog regularly, especially after they’ve been outside. Even if your dog has just been in your backyard, it’s important to check them for ticks if you live in an area that is known for a large tick presence. Additionally, if you live in a Lyme-prone location, you should perform these checks daily during the warmer months of the year.
If you do notice a tick on your dog, remove it immediately. If the tick hasn’t buried up under the skin yet, your dog is not at risk of disease. If it has, try to save the tick, and take it to the veterinarian to be checked.
3. Stay Out of Tall Grass
When taking your dog outdoors, try to stay away from tall grasses. Ticks prefer to live in tall grass and cling onto your dog’s fur when they walk past them, so avoiding these areas can help reduce the risk of tick bites for you and your pet both.
If you do plan to go out into areas of tall grass or unkept woods—such as on a hiking or camping trip with your pet—you should rely on some of the other tips on our list instead.
4. Vaccinate Your Dog
Vaccines are available to help your dog stay safe when it comes to tickborne illnesses. Although vaccines will not prevent your dog from being bitten by ticks at all, they can reduce the risk of your dog contracting Lyme disease from those bites. Ideally, you should combine a regular Lyme disease vaccine with a monthly tick preventative for all-around protection.
Vaccinations are available for dogs as young as six months old in most instances. Talk to your vet about the right time to vaccinate your pet against Lyme disease, and make sure to keep up with annual booster shots for the best protection for your pet, too.
5. Use Tick Prevention Medication
Tick prevention medication is one of the best ways to protect your dog from ticks. With this type of medication, your dog will be less likely to be bitten by ticks, although the medication does not prevent the risk of tickborne illnesses entirely.
Tick prevention medication is typically mixed with flea prevention medication. You can give this type of medicine to your dog monthly as a pill or put it on the skin between their shoulder blades every month, depending on the type you choose to use. Both options are very effective.
6. Try a Tick Collar
Although less beneficial than tick prevention medications, tick collars can work well for some dogs. If you spend a lot of time outdoors with your dog and don’t want to rely on medication to prevent ticks, a collar may do the trick instead.
Talk to your vet about choosing the right type of tick collar for your dog if you plan to go this route. Your vet can also let you know if a tick collar is a good solution for your pet.
Boston Veterinary Clinic Can Help
With the help of this information, you should be able to put together a tick protection plan for your dog. You can use this guide to choose the best methods for keeping your pet safe from ticks, and you can also refer to it any time you’re planning an upcoming outdoor adventure with your dog.
If you’re unsure which tick prevention method is right for you, be sure to talk to your Boston Veterinary Clinic vet for more information by booking an appointment online. Your vet can give you specific recommendations based on your dog’s individual health and wellness needs, so you can always make the right choice for your pet.