Tick season is upon us and if you live in an area where ticks are abundant, you may want to take extra measures to keep your pet tick-free! Pets can contract a number of diseases from a single tick bite such as Lyme Disease, American Canine Hepatozoonosis, Cytauxzoonosis, Tick Paralysis and more! A few symptoms showing that your pet may have ticks or may have been bitten by a tick include: a fever, scabs, lots of headshaking, a small bump, loss of appetite and more. Here are some tips to help your pet stay tick-free this season:
- Preventative Medications
Preventative Medication is one of the best ways to keep your pet tick-free. There are several options for topical and oral preventative medications, some only need to be distributed once per month. Ask your veterinarian what they suggest for your pet.
- Treat the Yard
Trimming trees, bushes and your lawn can help to reduce the number of ticks that populate your backyard. There are even household and yard spray treatments available.
- Tick collars
An additional prevention method is a collar that can repel ticks. Though they mainly help protect your pet’s head and neck from ticks, it can still be a useful way to help prevent your pet from getting ticks.
- Tick Shampoos
Medicated shampoos can usually kill ticks on contact. Medicated tick shampoos often need to be repeated every two weeks since the effective ingredients wear off.
- Check & Brush
If you and your pet frequently visit wooded areas or places where ticks are present, it’s important that you check your cat or dog for ticks. Long haired pets, especially, can hide those sneaky ticks.
Consult your veterinarian today to see what prevention method is best for your pet. And don’t forget to keep your pet’s fur clean and trimmed this tick season. Request your pet’s grooming appointment today!
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