Miss Kitty Litter

Even inside a house, your dogs still have access outside via their dog doors and bathroom break time. And access outside gives them the opportunity to get ticks! My mom recently got Lyme disease last summer and this is something really close to my heart.

If you take your dog hiking in the woods or in open fields, he is at high risk of picking up ticks. Ticks are not only very disagreeable insects, they also spread many serious diseases and if your dog has a tick infestation you should keep him away from other pets as they may become infested with ticks as well.

There are many tick creams and lotions available that kill ticks, but even if you kill a tick, it will remain attached to your dog’s skin and continue to cause frantic scratching and allergies. Dogs can continue to scratch even if the ticks are dead so you should remove any ticks on your dog.

Many people use tweezers to remove ticks from their dogs but this isn’t recommended for two reasons: ticks can attach themselves to humans so you should be very careful when removing ticks from your dog. The second reason is that you can easily puncture the tick’s body when using tweezers. Causing the tick to burst can result in the release of toxic substances which can make your dog very sick, so you want to avoid that at all costs.

The best way to remove ticks from your dog is to do so manually, with your hand. To do this you should wear a long sleeved shirt and some surgical latex gloves. Place several sheets of newspaper on the ground and have your dog sit on them. Look through your dog’s fur to find any ticks. Make sure you part your dog’s fur to thoroughly search for ticks and if you find one you should carefully remove it with your hand. Gently pinch the tick’s body and twist it in a counterclockwise direction while pulling it out.

Be very careful not to pinch too hard or you risk puncturing the tick’s body. If you’re having trouble pulling the tick out you should gradually apply more pressure until you are able to detach it from your dog. You’ll have to safely dispose of the ticks once you’ve removed them from your dog. You can crush them on the newspaper or put them in a bowl filled with alcohol or bleach and flush them down the toilet after they are dead.

Due to the fact that ticks attach themselves to dogs to suck blood, they can cause small wounds. You will need to disinfect these wounds in your dog’s skin after removing the ticks. You can do so by using an antiseptic such as Dettol or Germolene to prevent any risk of infection.

Ticks are most prevalent during the period from April to October and during this time you should try to avoid walking your dog in open fields or wooded areas. If you do take your dog for walks in these circumstances, inspect him regularly to detect any ticks he may have picked up. As ticks thrive in warm weather you should do everything you can to protect your dog from these parasites during the warmer months,

Vinegar and garlic are natural tick repellents and adding a few drops of vinegar to your dog’s drinking water should help prevent external parasites. Tick collars are also a good thing to use during tick season to keep your dog safe from these blood sucking parasites.