Prevention of your pet getting ticks can be accomplished by avoiding tall grass, shrubs, or wooded areas. For many people this is not practical so there are products available to keep ticks away.
We recommend Nexgard for spring months: March, April, May. Then Spectra starting June as it has heartworm protection as well.
Nexgard: oral chew, given monthly, will kill a tick rapidly while feeding ***our recommendation
Spectra: oral chew, given monthly, tick and heartworm protection (start June 1st for 6 months)
Revolution: topical, given monthly, which will kill a tick in 1-5 days, heartworm protection
Ticks are most active in spring and fall months. Ticks are mostly found in tall grasses, shrubs and wooded areas. Ticks are small external parasites that are about the size of a sesame seed. They attach to our pets and engorge on blood. If you find a tick on your pet grasp the tick with forceps as close to the skin as possible and gently pull it off, do not twist. Wipe the bite site with an antiseptic or rubbing alcohol. Ticks can carry Lyme disease so its best to wear gloves when removing ticks or wash thoroughly with antibacterial soap. If you do not feel comfortable removing the tick yourself call the clinic and we can make a time to remove it for you. Never try to suffocate a tick with Vaseline, nail polish, or burning it with a match as this may cause the tick to spew an irritant (that may be carrying Lyme disease) into your pet.
Ticks can cause tick paralysis, which is an ascending paralysis caused by the absorption of toxins from the saliva of an engorging female. A single tick is capable of causing paralysis, yet many can be present and not cause paralysis at all. The first sign is in-coordination of the hindquarters, then the forequarters, neck, and finally to respiratory muscles, with fatal consequences. If your dog is suddenly showing any symptoms, search their body for any ticks. The head and neck area is one of their favourite spots, but they can be located anywhere. Removal of the tick results in rapid recovery.
