Puppy pest protection: 5 tips for preventing ticks on your pet
When looking to spend a fun afternoon with your dog, there are few activities more enjoyable than taking a walk on an outdoor trail. Unfortunately, your pet might come home from such an afternoon outing with an unwelcome surprise. Ticks can hitch a ride on your dog if they’ve been spending any time outdoors, especially if your pup’s been walking on trails or in wooded areas. And though these parasites are annoying on their own, if left to feast within your dog’s fur, ticks can cause severe health conditions.
However, pet parents hoping to protect their furry friends from parasites need not fear. From investing in pest control to maintaining your yard, there are numerous ways you can shield your dog from tick bites. Read on for five ways you can protect your puppy from parasites.
Invest in professional-grade pest control services
Even if you keep your pet out of wooded areas and off of outdoor trails, ticks can be waiting in your own backyard. To ensure your dog is safe in its backyard retreat, consider pest control services like these. Pest control experts can stop ticks in the larval stage with tick tubes and kill adult pests with a vector control spray, making sure your yard stays safe from ticks in all forms.
Keep up on your yard work routine
Pest control will be most effective if you’ve done your due diligence and tick-proofed your yard. Building fences will deter deer, raccoons, and other wildlife that might bring ticks with them. Additionally, frequently mowing your lawn will prevent the growth of tall grasses where ticks love to hide.
Routinely check your pets for parasites
To make sure a stray tick didn’t latch onto your dog during walk time, make sure you check your pets for ticks whenever they’ve spent time outside, especially if they’ve been in tall grass or wooded areas. You can ensure your pup is pest-free by searching around their ears, legs, tail, toes, and eyes daily and removing any ticks you might find.
Remove any ticks properly
If you happen to find a tick during a routine exam, make sure you remove the pest correctly. Otherwise, you risk leaving the tick head in your dog, spiking the risk of infection. Wait until your dog is calm before attempting a tick removal, and make sure you use a tick hook or pointed-end tweezers to remove the pest slowly.
Purchase proper tick prevention
Between tick collars to spot-on treatments, there are several options for preventing ticks before they ever have an opportunity to hitch a ride on your dog. Tick collars can offer months-long protection, while spot-on treatments can provide flea protection alongside tick repellant. Talk to your vet about which tick treatment plan will be best for your pet.
Final thoughts
Ticks can become an unwelcome companion on any outdoor outing you enjoy with your dog. However, from routinely checking your pet for ticks to purchasing tick prevention supplies, you can help ensure your furry friend enjoys the outdoors and leaves any pesky parasites behind.
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