Ticks were particularly bad last year. It can be a scary thing for a pet owner, especially those of us who love bringing our pooch along on our favourite hiking trails or escaping the city on a dog-friendly camping trip.
After spending time in any area you know are prone to ticks, it’s essential to do a thorough check of your dog. Depending on the amount of fur, it may take awhile! Remember to check your pup’s mouth and gums as ticks are able to get in there too!
Prevention:
A vet will have many recommendations on how to prevent ticks. For those who prefer to try out the natural remedies, the link below has a list of things you can try:
Natural Solutions for Tick Season
I have used Diatomaceous earth myself. Diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic powder to humans and animals but is deadly to ticks (and fleas as well). Whenever my dog and I venture on a trail or area that could have ticks, afterward I do a tick check followed by a light dusting of the powder on my dog and his bed. It’s a great natural powder that’s safe and easy to use!
Tick Removal
Last year my pup was unfortunate to get a tick on his cheek. For removing I did the following:
- Put on a pair of gloves (ticks can transmit diseases to people too) and cleaned a pointed pair of tweezers.
- Gently grasp the tick as close to my dog’s skin as possible. Twisted it a bit in a clockwise motion then pulled outward slowly. It’s essential to make sure that I got all of the tick as any part left in a dog can lead to an infection.
- Put the tick in a ziplock, killed it by crushing it and stored it in case my dog showed signs of illness. If he did show symptoms, having the tick could be beneficial to a veterinarian as they can test the tick for what disease it carried.
My pup was a trooper and actually fell asleep during the process (I’m sure most ‘patients’ wouldn’t be so accepting of removing something from their face!). I cleaned the area and kept an eye on it for the next few days for any signs of infection.
Image credit: Creative Commons Pixabay
