The cool, wet spring has Mother Nature giving us another gift. She is also giving an abundance of ticks! We found a tick on Hobbes, the dog, near the inside corner of his eye in his forelock! Fortunately for us, Hobbes sat very patiently as John removed the tick.
Here are some great tick prevention tips for dogs and cats.
Do you remember how to remove ticks? Here is a quick refresher. Use a tweezers or put on a glove. The ticks carry diseases that can be transported to humans too. Gently grasp the tick. Slowly and gently, pull the tick backwards. Keep the pressure light and be persistent. The tick will give up and release from the dog.
To dispose of the tick, either hold it in a tweezers or on a fork and light it with a match. Did you know ticks can swim and may crawl out of a toilet or sink! Yikes!
It usually 24 to 36 hours before the tick transmits Lyme disease to your dog. If you are concerned about the type of tick, put it in a small plastic bag and show it to your vet. Remember ticks also carry other diseases.
Tick prevention is available in all forms. When ticks are really bad, I will use the prevention available from the veterinarians.
Years ago a dog breeder recommended Brewers Yeast to keep ticks and fleas away. Hobbes receives a Brewer’s Yeast with his morning yogurt and food. According to Dr. Michael Fox, give 1/2 teaspoon daily to small cats and dogs or 1 teaspoon of Brewer’s Yeast per 30 pounds of dog. (It is hard to find Brewers Yeast now because of the Micro Breweries. Let me know if you find a source.)
I’ve used Bug Off Chewable Garlic Tablets. It takes a few weeks to build up the garlic in the dog’s body. If you start now, you may need to use another method of tick prevention for a while. I found most dogs really like these and some need more time to adjust to the garlic. Unfortunately it doesn’t agree with Hobbes’ digestive system. So we check him a lot!
Essential oils are also keep ticks away by the aroma. A little essential oil goes a long way. I use it very sparingly. You may want to put a drop on a bandana or on the dog’s collar. If it is a small dog, please dilute it in carrier oil. Try Lavender, Lemongrass, or Geranium.
Remember you can always contact Animal Bridges with questions. I’m always finding out new tick prevention tips for dogs and cats!