Any help with ticks for Dogs? they are a real problem at the moment?

Question

He has had tick and flea treatment but they dont seem to be strong enough! any ideas?

Answer 1

Unfortunately with ticks, there is no real way to prevent them from latching onto the dog unless you discover the main area where they are coming into contact with him. The tick and flea treatment are supposed to make the skin taste bad (from what I've been told by my own vet) but it doesn't always work- main thing is to let your dog play in an open space and not around too many trees!

Also:

" CONTROL:

1. The infested house and/or kennel should be thoroughly cleaned in order to eliminate as many ticks as possible. Vacuuming is very helpful inside.
Pet beddings and pet areas should be cleaned well.

2. Kennels, dog houses, and structures occupied by pets should be thoroughly treated to control ticks that have dropped off the dog and that reside in harborage areas.
Residual insecticide sprays and dusts should be applied carefully to all potential tick harborage areas.

Ticks like to reside in the upper portions of structures in cracks and crevices and the areas used by dogs.

Recommended residual insecticides would be SUSPEND , CONQUER, TEMPO ULTRA SC

Recommended dust would be:

DRIONE DUST or DELTA DUST

For the outside: TALSTAR LIQUID, TEMPO ULTRA SC, PERMETHRIN SFR, CONQUER, or SUSPEND should be applied to grassy and bushy areas near the house or kennel, the edges of lawns and gardens, under porches, and other areas where the dog travels or spends time."

Answer 2

I just went through the same problem. Do you have a yard? I have a HUGE yard and that's where they were coming from. To eliminate the ticks, we mowed the lawn several times over a period of days to get the grass as short as possible. We trimmed any overhanging branches or tall weeds on the borders, and raked up any piles of old or rotting leaves. These are all places where ticks reproduce. We DID NOT water the lawn for over a week to let the hot sun dry out and kill the little beasties- ticks need moisture. Finally, we purchased and spread out an organic fertilizer designed to kill fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.

I wanted to use the Frontline type products but a lot of those are not safe for cats that are in close contact with dogs. I have 4 cats and they climb all over the dog and groom her.
Instead, we dipped the dog, sprayed her and now use a flea comb (to catch any bugs) after every romp in the yard. I used Zodiac flea products (safe for puppies and kittens) as I'm familiar with them and they've always worked.

It's been 3 weeks without ticks and during the first few weeks of May we were finding dozens.

Good Luck!


In answer to the vet nurse, I had no idea there were any adverse reactions to the Zodiac sprays or dips. I've been using them for years, diluting properly and never using more often than recommended. I was told by a vet that frontline for dogs might be dangerous if my cat ingested it by grooming my dog. So, I went with the dip/spray and have noticed no ill effects ( as I have never ) with the Zodiac. I suppose any product could have harmful effects if misuse or allergies are involved.

Anyway, my specific point was that the REAL difference in the tick problem we were having occurred with the dilligent lawn maintenance.

But thanks for the info- I'll look into it, but as I've said, I have never had any problems with these products.

OK, so I Googled the Zodiac thing and pretty much 100% of the complaints are about BIO SPOT. This isn't what I'm using. I am using the dip and the puppy/kitten spray. Thanks again for the heads-up. PS: I only had to use them once, because the yard is now clean. : )

Answer 3

What flea and tick treatment did you use? If it was from a pet shop, I'm not surprised it didn't work because most of the stuff from stores is worthless.

Go to your vet for some proper treatment. I suggest Frontline - it treats fleas for up to two months in dogs, and ticks up to 2 weeks - it does need to be used every two weeks if you have a real tick problem.

Chalice

EDIT: What is howldine talking about? Surely everyone knows by now, Zodiac is one of the most dangerous products out there! Just type 'adverse reactions to Zodiac' into any search engine! Frontline is very safe, and very hard to overdose on - the spray can be used on puppies and kittens from 2 days of age, and it has no systemic action - there's no problem with dogs and cats coming into contact when it's been used on them! What more can I say!

Answer 4

Diatamaceous earth will get rid of fleas and ticks on your dog and your grass area....It does the trick...Just use a mask and put the diatamaceous earth in a bottle with holes in the lid like a spice rack cinnamon bottle or something...then shake on the dog down the back bone and pat it..then slowly go all around dog..Keep away from the dogs face...also if you dog is an inside dog...I would make sure i put the diamataceous earth on the carpets and let sit for as long as you can..a couple hours at least....and also under the bed where the dog sleeps.....Farmers put the diatamaceous earth in the feed of their animals to keep the fleas and ticks off and they also put it in the dog food..there are directions on the package....You can buy the diamataceous earth at the FEED store....

Answer 5

Ticks are a huge problem in pets... be sure to check for ticks after walks or runs when your dog comes inside.

Use a flea/tick preventative like K9Advantix...

Feel your dog often to check for ticks...

Have a lyme titer done each year or a SNAP4 test done...

Be weary of signs like limping, dog being lethargic, throwing up, anything out of the norm. These are all symptoms of Lyme disease.

Does your dog's weight match the recommended weight on the box?

There really isn't much else you can do except check for ticks by hand constantly and watch your dog for any kind of abnormal symptoms...

If Lyme goes untreated it can be fatal... :(

Answer 6

Frontline is a great flea and tick preventer--if you are using Hartz, stop. I have heard good things about Advantix, but never used it. You have to get frontline from a pet supply place or the vet--supermarkets and such don't carry it.

You do have to remove any ticks that are already there. The best way is to put some kind of oil (vaseline, vegetable oil, any oil safe for skin) all over the tick. This suffocates it and makes it pull its head out of the dog's skin to breathe (insects and arachnids don't have lungs, they breath through holes throughout their bodies). Then throw it in an ashtray or sink and burn it (they don't always die when you smoosh them).

Answer 7

You can get Sentinel for heartworm preventative, and it also keeps the fleas from reproducing and infesting the dog and his bed, etc. Also, Frontline, which you put between the dog's shoulders on his skin, kill fleas and ticks. There are also Lavender sprays available at the pet store that repel fleas because fleas hate the smell.

Answer 8

If money is not a problem then I'd say take him to a vet and get him dipped. Also you might want to think about spraying your house for flea's and ticks, and laying traps out if they are available. I would also think about finding out if fleas and ticks are a huge problem in your area.

Answer 9

I've been using stuff called Frontline, and I've not had a problem. I think a trip to the vet is required. Years ago, I had an Irish setter with ticks. I remember my Dad getting out the tweezers and tweezing these "grapes" off the dog's ears. The vet told me that Frontline kills the ticks and also destroys their reproductive organs - so they can't multiply before they die.

Answer 10

ticks are a problem with the weather heating up. try frontline flea and tick treatment (available from your vets) and if you find a tick on your dog, paint it with nail varnish and leave it until it dies and drops off. do not pull them off, this can leave the head inside the dog and cause infection. if the dogs skin is irritated, try gently cleaning it with a witch hazel solution, this is antiseptic and soothing