Fleas and Ticks

prevention information plus how to remove a tick!

They also have the potential to spread serious diseases such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Depending on the climate you live in, the season for fleas/ticks may last 3 or 4 months, or all year.

Prevention is definitely better than cure, and it's a really good idea to get your puppy started on a regular course of flea and tick preventative as soon as they're 8 to 10 weeks old.

Fleas

Believe it or not, a single flea can bite as many as 400 times a day, and lay up to 50 eggs in the same time frame!If your puppy is one of the many dogs that is allergic to flea saliva, all this biting can result in flea allergy dermatitis. This is a condition that causes excessive scratching, irritated skin and hair loss. Not nice!

Fleas are tiny, dark-colored creatures that crawl through your puppy's fur, close to the skin. They're usually most easy to spot around the ears, face and on the tummy.

If you're not sure whether or not little Fifi has fleas, stand her on white, or light colored sheet and comb her carefully with a flea comb (you can find these at any good petstore). Small black flecks that fall onto the sheet and turn red when wetted down are flea-dirt. If she's got a lot of fleas, they'll probably fall (or jump) off too.


Whether your little furbaby has already managed to become home to a flea colony, or if you just want to make sure that doesn't happen, it's important to start her on a good, effective preventative for fleas and ticks.

There are many options for repelling or killing fleas and ticks, including shampoos, flea-collars, powders, sprays and topical liquids. Some kill only live fleas, some kill fleas and ticks, and some even sterilize the female flea to prevent further generations.

The most quick-acting, effective and long-lasting choice to safely kill fleas, or fleas and ticks, is to use one of the popular topical medications such as Advantage or Frontline plus.

• Advantage
  All you need to do is apply a small vial of Advantage flea preventative between Fifi's shoulder blades once a month. It will spread naturally across her skin surface and will start working immediately, it will continue to work for approximately 30 days and then you'll need to repeat the process.
  Advantage will begin to stop fleas biting within about 5 minutes and should kill all fleas within 12 hours of application. Advantage only kills hatched fleas and doesn't have any effect on flea eggs, larvae or ticks.


• Frontline Plus for Dogs
  

  You apply Frontline Plus in the same way as Advantage - between the shoulder blades once a month. Within 18 hours all your puppy's fleas will be dead. It also kills flea eggs and larvae.
  

  Frontline Plus has the added advantage of also killing ticks (at all stages of their life-cycle). Any ticks Fifi is harboring should be dead within 18 hours of the liquid being applied.

• K9 Advantix
  

  Again, Advantix is applied in a simlar way as the other two products above. For big dogs you want to apply it in 2, 3 or 4 places along the back to make sure that it reaches maximum effectiveness.

  Advantix not only kills and repels ticks and fleas (fleas should be dead within 12 hours), but also mosquitoes who can transmit heartworm disease as well as West Nile Virus.

• Preventic Collar For Dogs - Contains 9.0% Amitraz
  

  Last year we had a terrible time with ticks in our area, and my veterinarian recommended using both K9 Advantix and a Preventic Collar on my dogs. It worked like magic and kept them tick free. Although these collars don't kill or repel fleas, they start work on the ticks within 24 hours, and continue working for up to 3 months.

  If you're struggling with a tick problem, this might be just the answer you need too!

Get a 'jump' on the competition and protect your pet from the fleas and ticks by ordering preventatives for your pets today!

You can buy special sprays or use one of the popular 'bombs' ( a pressurized can of chemicals that spell D-E-A-T-H to fleas such as Virbac Knockout Flea and Tick Area Treatment) which are very effective. Adams Plus Flea Tick Yard Spray is another good one.

By treating both your puppy and your environment you stand the best chance of being free of fleas and ticks in a very short period of time.

Ticks on dogs

The most common ticks in the USA is the brown dog tick and the American dog tick. The Deer tick (the variety most likely to carry and transmit Lyme Disease) and the Western Black-legged tick can also be found.

Ticks vary in size from tiny, pin-head critters to much larger one - sometimes as large as a kernel of corn, especially when they're full of your poor puppy's blood!

Tick before	Tick after

The best, most effective and safest way to prevent or kill ticks is to use a medication specifically designed to kill fleas and ticks. I've found that the best product to deal with ticks on dogs is K9 Advantix. If ticks are a big problem in your area you can use this every two weeks rather than once a month during the worst of the season.

But, it takes longer to kill ticks than it does fleas. Although the packaging may say 24 hours, if your dog has a lot of ticks it could take several days for them all to die... and the little ones (known as 'seed ticks')normally die off first, the bigger ones that are engorged take longer. Adding a Preventic Collar helps too, and these are usually effective for about 3 months.

For really severe infestations of fleas and ticks (sometimes found in dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors, or in stray, neglected or abandoned puppies and dogs), a 'Pyrethrin Dip' can be used too. This kills and repels fleas, ticks, lice, gnats, flies and mosquitoes too.

Simply mix the recommended amount of dip with water and pour it over your dog, then let him 'drip dry'. You can safely use it in conjunction with Advantix and the Preventic collar for maximum results.

However, if Fifi has already picked up a tick and is not yet on any preventative medications you need to remove it as quickly as possible. If you remove a tick within 24 hours of it biting your puppy you can really reduce the chances of it being able to transmit any disease).

How to remove a tick from a dog

Firstly, never touch a tick with your bare hands as Lyme Disease can be transmitted through your skin. Put on rubber/latex gloves first.

Get a pair of tweezers or forceps and grasp the tick's head firmly, as close to your pup's skin as possible. Pull slowly (don't twist it) but firmly. Don't grip the tick around it's swollen body or squeeze it's body.

Once the whole tick has been removed, use a disinfectant or rubbing alcohol to clean the area (and your gloves/tweezers etc. too), then apply a little anti-biotic ointment to the area of the bite.

When you're removing a tick from your dog, if it's head (or any part of it) is left under your dog's skin it could become infected, so keep an extra-close eye on the area for the next few days.

Don't forget to make sure you kill the tick before disposing of it or you may see it again!

Once you've done all that, be sure to get Fifi on a regular schedule of flea and tick medication so you don't have to do the same thing all over again.

Safety tips for use of medication to kill fleas and ticks

These medications are very effective and very safe when used correctly. However, as with any kind of chemical or drug, it's important to be careful and follow all the directions and guidelines.

• Make sure your puppy is over the minimum recommended age for use. This is usually 8 to 10 weeks old, but double-check the manufacturers instructions to be sure


• Store well away from children, pets and food supplies or housing


• Follow directions on the packet exactly. Do not use a product meant for dogs on cats, or vice-versa and pay close attention to the weight guidlines


• Always be sure to wash your hands after applying the product, and avoid it coming into contact with your eyes or skin


• If your puppy shows any signs of illness after being treated consult your veterinarian at once. Although these medications to kill fleas and ticks are very safe when used correctly, it's always better to be safe than sorry

If you'd prefer to try a natural flea treatment to kill the fleas and ticks on your dog, click on the image to the left to find a whole host of natural dog products, supplements and more.

If you'd like to know more about common, easily transmitted diseases that could affect your puppy, check out my Dog Illnesses page.

Puppy Health

Natural Health Products for Dogs

Natural Remedies for Dogs

Puppy Worms

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