While winter has just arrived, it won’t be long until spring and summer come back and that’s when pet lovers know tick season will rear its ugly head. Of course, you can’t keep your beloved pup in the house all the time, because after a long hard winter he’s ready to lay in the sun and roll around in the grass.
However, in recent years with the increase of climate change impacts, the instances of tick-borne diseases have tripled and the winters have become milder.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease are the most common, but other tick-borne illnesses are on the rise as well, so you need to be extra careful with your small dog, and make sure he doesn’t transport ticks into your home to make your family sick as well. In this article, you’ll find a few tips for protecting your pup during the tick season.
Scan for ticks every day.
Check your small dog and even your large dogs every day. It would be even better to check your puppy every time they come into the house, but if that’s not possible, then check them at least once a day. You can make checking for ticks a special bonding time with you and your dog. Remember, to check carefully on every part of the dog’s skin, the dog’s neck, and the dog’s chest to ensure you’re not missing any signs of a tick being a pest to your canine friend.
Figure out where the ticks like to hang out and then when you’re on your walks, keep your pup away from that area altogether. If you’re having a problem keeping your furry friend away from the tick-infested areas, then you need to invest in a harness for dogs and a good quality leash and strap to go along with it.
Make sure that the leash and harness you choose is durable, fits your dog’s neck and dog’s chest well, and has a reflective strap for night walking. That way you’ll know that your pup is safe during your walks, from both ticks and cars.
Natural Tick Control Options
To protect yourself, your pet, and your family, it’s best to go with natural tick control options. Some essential oils work very well for both preventing ticks and keeping your family safe. Although vaccinations can help protect against the diseases that ticks give to your pet, they don’t prevent the ticks from getting on your furry friend, to begin with. Make sure that the tick control you use is family-friendly, pet-friendly, and non-toxic for the best results.
Safe Tick Removal
No matter how hard you try, sometimes a tick is still going to make its way onto Fido and you have to get it off of him to ensure his and your safety.
Make sure that you don’t just grab the tick and pull it off your pet because you could easily leave the head beneath the skin, which can still cause diseases for your pet.
Make sure you wear gloves to avoid the tick coming in contact with your skin, then remove it with a pair of tweezers in a gentle manner. Remove it with a slow, steady motion, as anything that you might leave behind could result in an infection. These are some of reasons why you need to remove ticks. Once you’ve got the tick off your pet, make sure to rub the area with alcohol as well.
These are just a few of the ways to protect your pet during tick season. From using all-natural methods to control ticks to checking your pet every day, you’ll be on top of the tick outbreak before the summer season begins and the days start getting longer.