Ticks!

Tick season has hit the Niagara Region with a fury this spring In Niagara we have to check our dogs and ourselves for ticks after being active outside. We have a high rate of Dog Ticks, but also see Deer Ticks in great numbers and now also have reports of Lone Star Tick being found in Wainfleet last fall. Ticks, besides being gross, carry disease. Your vet can test your dog for tick borne diseases such as ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, and anaplasmosis when they test for Heartworm disease. Early detection is the best way to have a successful cure. There are many products you can use that will repel and kill ticks. The most effective topical products can be purchased from your vet. I will go over a few of the vet products you can purchase. Advantix is a topical that works on the skin to repel and kill ticks and fleas on contact. Since Advantix is not absorbed into the dog's system, it will start to kill ticks before they take a blood meal. Revolution, also a topical product, is absorbed into the dog's system so the tick must bite and take a blood meal before it dies. There are also a couple of good oral medications introduced over the last couple years. Bravecto is a chewable tablet that lasts for 3 months and is very effective in killing ticks and fleas quickly. You can also get Nexgard which is a chewable tablet that you give monthly for killing ticks and fleas. With all the products, the ticks will likely still bit your dog and take a blood meal before they die, the goal of the products is to have the ticks die before they start to regurgitate back into your dog, there by reducing the risk of spreading tick borne diseases. The only product that will repel is Advantix, but still not 100%, some ticks could still bite the dog.

There are many forms of natural repellants on the market, as well as recipes to make for yourself.

Do your research to see which are the safest and most effective products to use for your pet. Talk to us about products, and most importantly ask your vet what they recommend.