How to Protect Your Dog From Ticks

Ticks are unpleasant little insects that can cause problems. Here are tips on how to protect your dog from ticks.

Ticks have no problem at all coping with a snowy winter. They overwinter a few centimeters into the ground and can withstand fairly low temperatures because they have a kind of “coolant” in the body that prevents them from freezing. But it’s not just the winter weather that matters. If the growing season is long, humid, and warm enough, it is a feast for the ticks.

Thrives Where Dogs Thrive

As is well known, the small bloodsuckers thrive particularly well in shrubs, tall grass, and dense undergrowth. So in places where many dogs also like to be. But the ticks can neither jump nor run but are quite agile creatures who patiently sit and wait for a host animal to glide past at really close range. Then they grab a coat of fur or whatever they can get their hands on and begin their little walk towards the skin where, if they get the chance, they settle down and start sipping blood. All of this takes quite a long time, so if you look through your dog’s fur after each walk, maybe even brush it, you at least have a small chance of getting rid of the ticks before they bite.

Ticks that have already started to suck should be removed as soon as possible. Use a tick picker, make sure you get a good grip on the head as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out. Avoid trying to remove the tick with your fingers or tweezers, as there is a great risk that you will not get the whole body. Also, do not lubricate the tick with nail polish, kerosene, grease, or the like to suffocate it. This is because it vomits up its stomach contents, which can contain unpleasant infectious substances that you do not want to end up in your dog’s body.

Preventive

Preventants against ticks are an equally hot topic. Many dog ​​owners are critical of drug-classified tick preparations. It can be absolutely financially justified because the products, which are based on neurotoxins, can cause side effects and are environmentally unfriendly. At the same time, they are proven effective and protect the dog against dangerous tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasma, and TBE. If your dog suffers from, for example, skin irritations, vomiting, and hair loss due to one tick repellent, you can switch to another and see if it helps.

If you want, you can of course also test other and non-toxic methods against ticks, but there are no guarantees that they work.

Three Tick-borne Infections

Lyme disease – a common bacterium

Up to 30 percent of all ticks carry the Lyme disease bacterium and many dogs become infected. It may take between two and five months for symptoms to appear. In the acute stage, the dog may become lethargic and develop a fever. Dogs can be infected with Lyme disease without getting sick.

If you are unlucky, the dog can suffer from sequelae that cause long-term problems. The dog may have sore, stiff joints and lameness that move between different legs and last a long time. Then antibiotic treatment is needed. It can be difficult to make the correct diagnosis and since the dog may have antibodies in the blood after being infected with Lyme disease at an earlier time, a blood test is not enough to make a diagnosis. One must also look at clinical symptoms.

In the worst case, Lyme disease can damage the kidneys. Some dogs die of kidney failure.

– The risk of the dog being infected increases the longer the tick is allowed to sit. Check the coat every day and remove ticks as soon as possible, advises veterinarian Johanna Karlsson, Bollmora Veterinary Clinic.

Anaplasma – difficult to detect

Anaplasma was formerly called ehrlichia. It is a bacterium that spreads in the same way as Lyme disease. About one in ten ticks carries the infection. Here, too, the longer the tick is allowed to remain, the greater the risk of infection. It takes between one and two weeks before the symptoms appear.

The dog may have a fever and decreased general condition, poor condition and ability to concentrate, and decreased appetite as well as show signs of stiffness and pain from the joints. Some dogs become shaky and have difficulty coordinating muscle movements.

– It can be difficult to know if the dog has anaplasma because there are other diseases that can cause the same problem, says Johanna Karlsson.

Diagnosis is made with the help of clinical signs in combination with blood tests. Anaplasma is also treated with antibiotics. In severe cases, the dog becomes a chronic carrier and the infection can then flare up again when the dog’s immune system is weakened.

TBE – not so common in dogs

TBE is tick-borne meningitis, a virus for which there is no specific treatment. There is also no vaccine for dogs. The symptoms appear one to two weeks after the dog has been infected. Dogs infected with TBE have quickly become ill with behavioral changes and seizures, high fever, and impaired consciousness. The disease is serious. The only treatment available is to give the dog fluids and antipyretics.

Here are examples of products that can help:

Shoo! TAG

This is a small electromagnetic washer that is attached to the dog’s collar. According to the manufacturer “Shoo helps! take the body to modify its natural, electric field by adding special frequencies to which some insects respond ”. The frequencies should slow down and confuse the ticks. No 100% protection is guaranteed but Shoo! a tag has a satisfaction guarantee. If you are dissatisfied, you can get your money back if the tray is returned within 30 days.

Frontline vet

Available as a spray and pipette solution. Fipronil is the name of the active substance. It damages the tick’s central nervous system, leading to death. It is important that the dog does not get Frontline in the eyes or mouth. The person treating the dog should avoid contact with the product and with the dog until the product has dried. This is especially true for children. Frontline spreads over the dog within 24 hours and protects against ticks for 3-5 weeks. Side effects are uncommon but skin reactions, itching, and hair loss can occur. In a few cases, dogs have also reacted with anxiety, depression, vomiting, and respiratory symptoms. Fipronil is harmful to aquatic organisms.

Amber necklace

There is no evidence that amber is tick-repellent, but some who have tried it think the collar works, especially those with short-haired dogs. The necklace should be rubbed against the fur before putting it on.

Atix

A new product for tick removal was recently launched on the market. Atix – the tick remover consists of a cooling spray that kills the tick and fine tweezers to remove it with. Atix is ​​CE marked and approved for use on both animals and humans. It is available for purchase in a zoo and veterinary specialty stores.

Fixodida Zx

Natural remedies for ticks that are marketed as a non-toxic alternative. Fixodida ZX is mixed into the dog’s food and should give effect after about a week. Even if the dog does not become completely tick-free, the number of ticks will be noticeably less. The agent is also said to have a positive effect on fur quality. Dogs with sensitive stomachs can get diarrhea from Fixodida Zx, otherwise no special side effects. Contains, among other things, dried yeast and reed peat.

Make your own thyme spray

There are many varieties of homemade tick repellents. Maybe they work, maybe not. But they are guaranteed to be harmless and inexpensive to make, so they may be worth a try. Here is one of all the recipes: Boil half a deciliter of dried thyme in half a liter of water. Strain and pour in half a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Store the liquid in a spray bottle in the refrigerator. Spray the whole dog every morning. Researchers have also shown that ticks dislike yarrow, reindeer fan, and porcupine.