Ticks are terrible bugs that live off their host. They are rampant in areas where there are tall grasses and woodland. Once a tick attaches itself to a host, all it does is suck the blood, irritate the skin and even transmit diseases into its host. Sometimes our canine friends just happen to be victims of this parasitic bug. Dealing with flea and ticks for dogs can be challenging, but with persistence and a plan, it can be done!
Except your dog is kept indoors at all times, he is in danger of picking up a tick or two as he plays out in the woods or even in your garden. This is why every measure should be taken to reduce the chances of this awful bug getting attached to your pooch.
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This article aims at informing you on how to deal with ticks when they are discovered on the body of your canine; and how to prevent your dog from getting ticks.
What To Do If Your Dog Has Ticks
Ticks pose one of the greatest health risks to dogs. One of the ways to tell your dog has a tick is to watch how frequently he scratches a particular area of his body. You can also run your hands through your dog’s fur to feel for any small bump.
If a tick is discovered, here’s what to do:
1. Glove Up: Ticks are bugs that carry highly infections parasites. So it’s best to play it safe when dealing with them. You don’t want this bug getting crushed in your hand and have its fluid seeping into tiny breaks in your skin. Wear a pair of quality gloves!
2. Calm Your Dog: This isn’t going to be an easy ride for your pooch. Do best to prepare him by petting before and during the extraction. This will help keep him relaxed.
3. Employ A Pointy Tweezer: With the tick in sight, place the tweezers around the tick and gently hold of it. Make sure the tick is held as close to your dog’s skin as possible.
4. Pull The Tick Out: Applying steady pressure, gently pull the tick out of your dog’s skin. Don’t make the mistake of twisting the tweezers in a bid to forcefully pull the tick out. Be calm about it and pull it out slowly.
5. Clean The Affected Area: Immediately the tick is successfully taken out, ensure the affected area is cleaned and disinfected.
6. Test Tick For Disease: To be on the safe side, the tick pulled out should be killed using alcohol, and then taken to your vet to test if the bug has any disease it may have passed on to your dog.
If the process of extracting ticks seems like an ordeal, then you can have your vet rid your dog of the tick(s). Only make sure you act fast by informing your vet on time.
Keeping Your Dog Tick Free
In order to avoid going through the hectic process of taking ticks off your dog’s body, you could do the following to reduce the chances of ticks ever coming in contact with your dog.
1. Prevent your dog from going to play in the woods or grassy areas during the height of tick season.
2. Frequently bath your dog with a shampoo that contains medical ingredients that excel at killing ticks.
3. Administer oral medications to your dog; the type specially made to kills ticks.
4. Get your dog a tick spray and have him fortified anytime you wish to take him along with you to a wooded or grassy area.
5. Hiring an exterminator to help spray your yard frequently, helps keep the place tick free.
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