Protecting your dog from ticks

Video: how to protect your dog from ticks!
Video: petbarn presents: protecting your dog from ticks
Video: how to treat and protect your dog against ticks

I live in a mountain area where the problem of ticks is not an issue for my two dogs during the winter. But with the arrival of spring I begin their monthly treatments for ticks for their health and my piece of mind. Protecting your dog from ticks is a must because of the various transmutable diseases these parasites carry. Below we will provide you with information so protecting your dog from ticks can be accomplished with easy monthly treatments.

Video: How to Protect Your Dog from Ticks!

Why is protecting your dog from ticks something you should be concerned about? Because ticks are parasitic carriers of the Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. These two diseases can kill your best buddy as well as potentially transmit the disease to other family dogs, not to mention the human members of your family. Lyme’s is a particularly nasty contagious disease able to severely cripple humans and lead to death.

Giving your pooch a tick inspection is not difficult. Have the dog sit while you check the ears and run your hands over your dog slowly feeling for the telltale bump indicating a tick. Pull the fur aside as required to see the tick and while wearing protective rubber gloves remove the tick with tweezers. A common mistake many dog owners make is removing only the body of the tick while leaving the head still attached to the dogs skin. This does not solve the problem as the tick will continue to live while sucking more blood from your dog. See, I told you these are nasty little parasites. If the tick has been attached to the dog for several days the body of the tick is going to be the size of a small marble and will bust when squeezed. Thus you must wear the protective surgical gloves to avoid any transmission of Lyme’s or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to you or another family member.

Video: Petbarn presents: Protecting your dog from ticks

You will know you have removed the head of the tick because the dog will give a yip due to the fact the tick has a small piece of the dog’s skin in its mouth.

The recommended ways to protect your dog from the above diseases and kill any tick that finds a home on your dog are yearly shots for the diseases, monthly flea and tick treatments with medication placed along the dogs front shoulder blades to his rear hips, monthly dips at your groomers or the vets, sprays, and dusting with tick prevention powders. Your vet can also provide you with pills you give your dog once a month for protecting your dog from ticks.