Thursday, 09/23/2021

Spring and summers are the seasons for outings and travel plans with your loved ones! Along with the fun time, your dogs need some extra care as the proliferation of ticks increases during this season. A tick generally survives by sucking dogs’ blood by keeping its head attached to the dog’s body.

Ticks are definitely a cause of trouble for dogs and also by extension humans as well. Unlike fleas that do not like human hosts, ticks can shift from dogs to humans as well. In case ticks are not prevented and you are unable to keep the dog tick-free, you may need to take your dog to a veterinarian. Ticks attack your dog’s skin fiercely. Your veterinarian would diagnose the issues and execute a line of treatment accordingly.

To avoid the hassle and pain, let’s glance at various aspects of ticks and the ways of prevention and treatments ideally recommended for your dogs:

How Tick Bites are Dangerous for Your Dogs

Ticks are prone to get onto your dogs when they get close to the areas the ticks grow- the outdoors, including wooded areas, backyard, grass, shrubs, piles of leaves, and more. Though ticks are equally dangerous for humans, they contact dogs more often or may migrate from humans to dogs and vice versa.

Probabilities of Skin and Other Health Issues due to Tick Bite to Dogs

Tick bites are uncomfortable and may develop continuous itching and irritation in your dog’s fur. Dogs may get allergic reactions due to these bites. Secondly, ticks may transmit different diseases in dogs.
Let’s touch on some of the diseases that can be caused by ticks-

Lyme Disease – What is Lyme Disease Among Dogs?

Lyme disease originates from deer ticks. It gets transmitted into dogs through ticks attaching and attacking your dog’s body. The bad news is that Lyme disease symptoms may be seen after months of the actual tick bite.

The symptoms of this disease among dogs include loss of appetite, limping while walking, fatigue, lethargy, and stiffness in joints. Your vet will test your dog and start treatment immediately.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Ticks cause various health issues among dogs; Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is one of the severe issues among them. This disease is caused due to the bacterium Rickettsia Rickettsii, which survives when it is in the host’s cells. This bacterium is transmitted in dogs through tick bites.

The symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever among dogs may be loss of appetite, swelling of face or legs, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, and more. However, these signs are non-specific. For a precise diagnosis of this disease, the vets may ask the pet parents about the history of tick exposure.

Read this detailed article to know more about Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever among dogs, the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

It is important to note that some tick-borne issues may lead to heart trouble, neurological problems, and maybe fatal for your dogs. Therefore, effective prevention and treatment for ticks are essential at the right stage.

Here are some tips for recognizing ticks on your dog’s body.

Where to Find Ticks on Your Dog

Here are the most significant areas on the dog’s body where ticks usually accumulate:

  • Around the eyelids
  • In and around ears
  • Under dog’s collar and around the neck
  • Under front feet
  • Around the tail
  • Between rear legs

Ticks are present around throughout the year. However, the summer and spring are favorable weather for them. Ticks multiply in population during these seasons. The nymphal ticks are found in a large number in May and June. It is their peak season. While for the adult ticks, the peak season is fall to early spring.  If the winter is warmer, ticks may be present throughout the year.

Search for ticks and fleas in the areas mentioned above of the dog’s body and kill or eliminate them carefully. You may need to provide first-aid if you see any bloodstains around the ticks on the dog’s body.

Treatments for Ticks

Spot Treatments

Veterinarians recommend some spot treatments to get rid of ticks on your dogs. These methods include applying some anti-tick substances and chemicals on the dog’s shoulder. These objects spread around the body gradually.

Organic spot treatment includes spreading eucalyptus oil, cedar oil, or peppermint oil in small quantities on your dog’s shoulder. These substances are free from any harsh chemicals. Any chemical which is rough for your dog’s skin and coat must be avoided. Always rely on a vet-recommended product for such purposes.

Go through these product reviews to choose the best tick repellent. Ensure that the product you use is examined and approved by your veterinarian. This additional care ensures that there will not be any adverse effects of these remedies on your dog in the long run.

Chewables & Medication

Chewables containing brewer’s yeast and garlic to help the dog combat ticks could be among the less popular methods. Unfortunately, these treatments don’t practically prevent ticks from attacking and attaching to your dog’s body.

However, if your dog doesn’t cooperate during spot treatment or frequently rips off its collar, these chewable could be a better option for you.

Any oral medication must be prescribed by a licensed vet. Veterinarians are aware of the content of any drug, and they can design the dosage of the medication based on a thorough examination of the pets.

Prevention of Fleas and Ticks

Dog owners need to follow some precautions to eliminate the sign of ticks in and around their houses. The outdoors and indoors of the house should be hygienic throughout the summer and spring. Some other steps keep the nasty ticks and the related issues away from your dogs.

Cleaning and Treating Your Yard

The most significant advice to control ticks would be to clean and treat the yards around your home effectively. This is the area where your dogs play and spend most of their time. However, ensure that the cleaning method suits the weather and would not be toxic for your dogs in any way.

Ticks in your backyard may harm the health of your dogs

Image from Pexels by Skyler Ewing

Cut and trim the overgrown grass and weeds regularly. Ticks and fleas multiply in such areas. You can spray a vet-recommended chemical to repel ticks onto grass and lawn in your outdoors.

Abrasive Barriers to Prevent Bugs

There are some products available on the market that help you create an abrasive barrier for bugs. As an insect, like a tick, beetle, or earwig, crawls over it, it scores the outer layer of the bug. This is a nonhazardous way for dogs, cats, and other pets, as it is not a poison.

Tick Repellent Collars and Tags

Provide specially designed anti-tick collars to your dogs. These collars are treated with natural remedies, like cedar oil, to keep the ticks and fleas away from your dog. You can also get tags for your dogs to keep them parasite-free. These are non-toxic remedies to prevent ticks on your dogs.

Regular Dog Grooming

Brush your dog’s coat and skin regularly to find ticks at an early stage. Regular shampooing with a vet-approved shampoo helps prevent ticks and other bugs, causing skin issues and more.

Dog grooming allows detecting any ticks or bugs on the dog’s fur. Take your dog to a grooming center or groom them at home by following your trainer’s advice. You can also follow some simple dog grooming tips published on any dog training and grooming website.

How Pet Owners Can Provide a Healthy Environment to Pets

As discussed earlier, general maintenance of your landscaped garden and backyard is essential to ensure your dogs’ healthy and pest-free environment.

Also, never skip your dog’s routine checkups at a nearby vet clinic. Any skin issues or other health problems caused by ticks and fleas would be diagnosed early. That helps in executing necessary treatment by a certified vet.

Provide a clean and tidy area for your dog to play and sleep. Regularly cleaned dog beds help you keep your dogs pest-free.

Find a Vet Near You Conveniently

If you notice ticks on your dog’s body and the damage caused is beyond simple home remedies, it is always better to take your dog to a veterinarian nearby. Our website, which is a reputed online vet discovery platform, simplifies the process of finding a vet clinic in your area.

Simply log on to our homepage first. You can search for vets in your area following different methods:

  • You can type in the name of your city or metro area in the provided search box
  • You can click on the list item showing your city’s name
  • You can click on your state on the map provided

Further, as you land on the location-wise clinics’ pages, you can refine your search by entering your zip code in the given search box. You will get a list of vet clinics and hospitals in your area precisely.

For instance, if you are in Nashville, you can click on the list item- Best Vets in Nashville City, or enter ‘Nashville’ in the search box to get to the list of clinics in the city.

You can see the clinic profiles by clicking on the clinic links, get their contact details, and book an appointment to take your dog to the clinic. Thus, our platform saves you valuable time and energy when your dog actually requires immediate medical attention.

The Final Thoughts

Pets are lifelines of pet parents. Their well-being and keeping them free from parasites that may be dangerous for both us humans and our pets is of paramount importance. The article summarized from our perspective, the various health issues ticks may cause your dogs and some preventive measures.

We hope the discussion helps you understand the significance of keeping your surroundings cleaner, grooming your dogs regularly, and taking them to a vet whenever you notice some skin issue due to ticks on your dogs. Let’s keep our furry companions tick-free, happy, and healthy together!