Gross! There is a tick on my pet!
If your furry pal enjoys spending time outdoors, be sure to keep them safe by checking them regularly for ticks. Read on to learn what you need to do when you find one—gross!
Flea and Tick Prevention
Ticks aren’t limited to just one season—they can be active all year round and can carry diseases that are dangerous to both pets and humans. One bite can transmit bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the Bourbon Virus and many others. That’s why it’s important to keep your pets safe year-round with flea and tick prevention.
The easiest and most effective way to keep your pet safe is prevention. To effectively repel fleas and ticks, be sure to use veterinary-approved flea and tick products, like PetPrevea, to keep them far away from your furry pals. Treatments must be applied according to direction to properly prevent pesky pests!
How to Check for Ticks
If you are not using PetPrevea yet and want to check for ticks, follow these steps. Begin by running your hands over your pet’s body. If you feel a bump or a swollen area, separate the fur until you can see their bare skin and check to see if a tick is burrowed.
Make sure to check behind the ears and under their collar. Ticks can be black, brown or tan and will have eight legs. They can be tiny and tough to see. The size of the tick on your pet will depend on how long the tick has been there. As ticks feed on your dog’s blood, they grow. It takes four to seven days for an adult tick to become fully engorged.
If you need help, you can always take your pet to the veterinarian. They will be able to do a thorough check to ensure your pet is tick free!
You Found a Tick – Now What?
The number one priority is to remove the tick. The longer you wait the more likely the tick will transmit bacteria to your pet. But don’t fear. You don’t have to go it alone. You can call your veterinarian and they will remove it. If you are amongst the brave and want to remove the little sucker yourself, just follow these steps.
- Get a clean and blunt tipped tweezer.
- Grab the tick with the tweezers very close to the skin and pull.
- Keep the tick in a zip-lock plastic bag. If your pet shows concerning symptoms, be sure to bring the tick with you to the veterinarian for proper identification.
- After the tick is removed, clean your pet’s skin with soap and water and treat with an antibiotic ointment.
Ask your veterinarian if they want your dog to come in after a tick bite. Be sure to watch your pet for signs of Lyme disease: lethargy, fever and lameness can all be indicators.
Prevent Future Tick Bites
To prevent future tick bites, make sure to use a flea and tick prevention like PetPrevea every month. Products like PetPrevea Advanced for Dogs, containing Imidacloprid, Pyriproxyfen and Permethrin can repel ticks from your dog before the tick can bite.
