Mary Allen
Ticks are now active in Germany from February to October and quite a few of them are infected with pathogens. Effective protection against ticks is therefore needed, but the range of tick remedies is confusing, to say the least. As so often, you are spoiled for choice…
Tick Repellents: How Good Are They Really?
Tick protection products are available in abundance in specialist shops and pharmacies. According to the manufacturer, all of them are highly effective and well-tolerated — which, unfortunately, Stiftung Warentest was unable to confirm in a test with more than 400 dogs.
Test winners in the 2003 test were the Export and Frontline preparations available from veterinarians. Overall, the verdict of the testers was: What really works contains “chemistry”. According to the Stiftung Warentest, the few natural products tested were either unsatisfactory or had a strong odor that bothered even the pet owners.
Physical repellents such as scalar waves, ultrasound, and bioenergy to protect against ticks failed the test. The Stiftung Warentest experts simply described the advertising promises made by the manufacturers as “hocus-pocus Fidibus”.
Newer tick remedies that you can get from the vet, such as Bravecto (MSD Animal Health), Scalibor Protectorband (MSD Animal Health), Preventic Spot on (Virbac), or Advantix Spot on (Bayer Animal Health), have not yet been checked by Stiftung Warentest. However, the manufacturers must provide evidence of scientific efficacy and tolerability studies for these drugs that are only available in pharmacies.
Pharmacy-only medicines are available from Dr. Hölter’s online shop does not, due to pharmaceutical law reasons. You can get these preparations from your veterinarian or in your pharmacy.
In 2010 Okotest tested over 80 flea products for dogs and cats – including many effective against ticks. You can download the test results for little money from Ökotest.
If you would like more detailed information about the use and possible side effects of the active ingredients in animals and humans, you can do so on the website www.tierarzneimittel.ch by simply entering the brand name of the preparation in the search mask. Here, pharmacologists and toxicologists from the Vetsuisse Faculty in Zurich have compiled an extensive and constantly updated compendium of veterinary medicinal products.
Tick Repellent for Cats
For cats, the selection of tick protection products is significantly smaller than for dogs. For example, they react very sensitively to the permethrin contained in many products. Fipronil-containing tick remedies such as Frontline are also available for cats.
Apply Tick Repellent Correctly
When it comes to tick repellents, you generally have the choice between a spot-on and a collar. The collars must be worn at all times and you should avoid excessive contact with them yourself. Substances contained in some collars can otherwise cause nausea or the like. You should also keep in mind that dogs can get caught in bushes with their collars, which is why hunting dogs, for example, should not wear tick collars.
Spot-on preparations should only be applied to areas that the animal cannot lick off, usually on the back of the neck or between the shoulder blades. If you have several animals, newly treated cats and dogs should not lick each other either. Caution is advised if you treat your dog with tick repellents containing permethrin and you have a cat. If the animals have close contact with each other, it is better to switch to another anti-tick agent.
When applying the spot on, you should ensure that you apply the active ingredient directly to your pet’s skin, i.e. part long and thick fur well. Contact with your hands should be avoided. It is best to apply the product in the evening because you should not cuddle and pet animals that have just been treated. Of course, the bed is also taboo for an animal that has just been treated.
Basically, the manufacturers recommend the use only in healthy animals. If your pet is chronically ill, you should ask your vet if you can use a tick repellent. If you have skin diseases or skin injuries, you should avoid using a spot-on. Some preparations are suitable for use in pregnant and lactating bitches or cats – but please clarify with your veterinarian which remedy is suitable before use.
Since spot-ones are supposed to work on the skin, shampooing is not advisable, at least in the first few days after use. Your dog should also not be allowed to bathe in water, especially since some active ingredients can also damage aquatic organisms.