One of the most problems dog can encounter would definitely be tick infestations. Ticks are tremendously difficult to eliminate once it latches itself to your beloved canine companion. Tick elimination will be an arduous process and will most likely take a month of continuous treatment, cleaning, and lifestyle changes for your pet to accomplish.
Fortunately, tick prevention and treatment products have advanced by leaps and bounds throughout the years. Their effectiveness in this matter has grown. Most will also feature several benefits and are designed to be perfectly safe not only for your dog but also everyone within the household, all except for the ticks, of course.
Tick Prevention Tips and Product Buying Guide
Before we head on to our list of highly recommended tick prevention products in the market today, let us first discuss the important aspects you should look for in this category. We are talking about your dog’s health as well as any person living in the house. While ticks should not be taken lightly, you should also consider whether the product is perfectly safe for everyone in your household, humans included.
Below are some important factors you should consider when looking for the best tick prevention for dog products as well as several prevention tips you can do yourself.
Tick Prevention Guideline
- Avoid Areas Where Ticks Thrive
A basic tip which you can easily follow would be to simply avoid environments wherein ticks are known to thrive. How do you determine if an area has a high risk of tick infestation? Well, ticks are attracted to places that have dense vegetation (i.e. plants and shrubberies).
If you are walking your dog outside, refrain from going through tall blades of grass or simply avoid wooded areas. Ticks can be found in dead leaves on the ground and can quickly attach itself to your dog as they pass by.
If passing through high vegetative areas is almost impossible, I would suggest you always check your dog for ticks before going inside the house.
- Properly Maintain your Yard or Garden
This connects to the first one if you leave the grass and shrubs in your yard unchecked you will soon find it to be a hotbed for all sorts of insects, ticks included. Maintain your yard by mowing the lawn and making sure to remove decaying leaves with a rake. Keeping a clean yard gives your dog an open space to play in while also being a tick and flea free area.
Using Tick Prevention Products
- Topical and Oral Tick Prevention Products
There are dozens of tick prevention products you can choose to use and they come in different forms. There are topical and oral medications you can administer to your dog in order to prevent or treat tick infestations.
You can even purchase topical tick prevention and treatment products over the counter. However, if your dog is already suffering from a serious case of tick infection it is best to consult with a veterinarian as soon as possible to obtain the right medicine and treatment procedure.
Topical medication is applied onto the skin and fur of your dog. The medication is then absorbed by the body and goes through the bloodstream which then exterminates ticks as they feed. You should also note that buying the right tick medication requires you to consider the dog breed and their weight as it might cause more harm than good if applied incorrectly.
There are also oral tick treatment and prevention medication. These are quite effective when it comes to treating tick infestation. However, they can also be quite inconvenient for dog owners whose pet are not exactly comfortable taking medicines via oral drops.
- Tick Prevention Shampoos
Another option you can choose is by using tick prevention shampoos. Almost every dog shampoo already contains flea and tick treatments. It can also assist in eliminating tick infestation in conjunction with other medications.
The downside with tick prevention shampoos is that they are not that effective if you have an outdoor dog. You need to take a close look at your dog’s grooming product. The repellant scent quickly disappears (especially if your dog stays outside most of the day). The best solution here is to use these types of shampoo alongside other tick repellent products such as tick/flea collars and topical medications.
How to Choose the Best Tick Prevention Products
In order for you to ensure that you get the best and safest tick prevention product available, there are several important factors you need to look for.
- Use Tried and Tested Product Only
In order to ensure that the tick prevention medication is effective, only buy products that are veterinarian approved. You should also think twice about buying cheaper alternatives. Check with a vet first before purchasing OTC products. More than once have I seen cheap tick medications cause more harm than good to dogs.
- Natural Products Does Not Guarantee Safety
While there is nothing wrong with using natural tick prevention products, know that some are not effective at all. You might find topical tick medication that contains ‘tea tree oil’ and any vet will warn you that tea tree oil is not safe to use with dogs. Don’t immediately fall for the marketing is what I’m trying to say. Always consult with a professional first and foremost.
The Best Tick Prevention for Dogs in 2018
The Wondercide Flea, Tick, and Mosquito Spray is a good all-around tick repellant product. It can be applied on the fur of your pet dog and cat as well as carpets and furniture as it uses a non-stain formula. It contains the following natural active ingredients: sesame oil, lemongrass oil, natural sodium lauryl sulfate, and cedar oil.
For safety reasons, do a ‘spot test’ first before applying the treatment on your dog’s entire body. Spot tests require 3 days max to ensure your dog won’t react negatively to the formula. For obvious reasons, avoid spraying the treatment near the eyes and nose of your dog.
After spot testing the product, you can then apply Wondercide throughout your dog’s body. The formula is also designed for use outdoors. If you locate a tick or flea infested area in your yard, you can apply a couple of sprays in that area to eliminate the infestation.
Pros:
- It uses a no-stain formula for use in furniture and carpets.
- Does not contain any harmful toxins.
- Safe to use around children, pregnant women, and other pets such as cats.
Cons:
- Slightly more expensive than other, almost similar, products.
Bayer K9 Advantix is a topical treatment and preventive medication against ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. It comes in several variations, each designed for different breed/size of dogs. The one we have here is designed for large dog breeds. If your dog is of the smaller variety then choose the version designed for smaller dogs.
The K9 Advantix II has been a staple in tick repellants and has a solid reputation in all dog owner circles. The Advantix II does use artificial chemicals in its ingredients but it has proven to be relatively safe to use.
The K9 Advantix II contains the following active ingredients: pyriproxyfen, permethrin, and imidacloprid. This formula is designed to combat a variety of ticks from American dog ticks to deer ticks.
Pros:
- The formula is designed to remain active on your dog’s fur even under sunlight and rain.
- Scentless and dries off within 3 hours.
- Mild formula prevents any skin irritations on your dog.
- Quickly kills ticks and fleas.
Cons:
- The formula strength is better suited for dogs who love to frolic around the yard rather than wooded areas.
This dog shampoo uses lavender oil as its main active ingredient which is known as a good tick and flea repellant. The formula consists of all-natural ingredients which also offers anti-inflammatory properties which is ideal to soothe skin irritations and stop your dog from scratching infected areas too much.
Lavender oil can also help kill tick and flea eggs before they hatch, lowering the risk of future re-infestations. This dog shampoo also contains colloidal oatmeal which helps nourish your dog’s fur to give it a lusher appearance and a softer texture.
As for other safety concerns, the Maple Holistic Pet Pleasant Shampoo utilizes a mild formula to prevent any irritations in the event that the shampoo manages to get into contact with your dog’s eyes. Of course, it is best to avoid this altogether and simply be extra careful when washing your dog’s head.
The vanilla extract in this shampoo helps eliminate dog odors and leaving them with a clean and almost scentless smell. The shampoo is also marketed as having some soothing properties and can help relax the dog during bathing.
Pros:
- Mild formula for dogs with sensitive skin.
- Made from tried and tested natural ingredients.
Cons:
- Unclear detail on how long each use can prevent ticks and fleas.
Conclusion
Tick prevention is an important factor to consider when raising a dog. There are various options out there for you to choose from. However, to guarantee the best results it is best to always consult with a veterinarian first. Not only can they give you a prescription of the best, safest, and most reliable dog products, they can also help you develop a specific prevention plan in order to significantly lower the risk of your dogs getting infested by those pesky ticks.