How to Keep Fleas and Tick Away from Your Dog?
While spring and summer are pleasant weather, fleas and ticks aren’t pleasant. While you absolutely love snuggling with your dog, you aren’t the only one. Fleas and ticks are a fan of your dog’s soft coat. It not only offers them a warm habitat but also protection.
While your fur baby enjoys your cuddles, fleas and ticks invading their personal space is not only irritating but dangerous. They can feed on your dog’s blood, causing a range of health issues including various infections and diseases.
This is why prevention from these tiny creatures is better for your dogs. Of course, your veterinarian can guide you best about the prevention and cure related to fleas and ticks. So, never shy away from consulting with them.
Let’s look at some preventive ways to keep your furry friend safe from little critters.
- Pick a pest-repelling shampoo
Start from the tub. The right shampoo is your best friend when it comes to keeping pests away from your four-legged friend.
However, since a lot of flea and tick prevention shampoos contain harsh additives, so look for shampoos with nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, or other essential oils that help in keeping pests away.
- Use the vet-recommended prevention medication
Your vet can recommend oral or topical treatments that work well in keeping fleas and ticks away. That medication is tailored for your dog according to their breed,
- Keep your lawn or plants maintained
If you have a lawn, longer grass gives a perfect home to pests. Keep your grass cut, hedges trimmed, and you will be quite successful in minimizing the flea and tick population in your lawn.
If you keep flower pots in your terrace, keep the leaves well-trimmed because if your dog is a fan of spending time in your terrace, he might be getting too close to the pests.
You can use natural ingredients to spray on your lawn so pests and mosquitoes don’t infest your lawn, and natural ingredients don’t pose a threat to your dog as well.
- Avoid taking your dog in grassy bush areas
Don’t let your dog wander off to areas with tall grass and bushy areas. That’s the kind of areas that has the most fleas and ticks.
Walking your dog is best if done on clear path, especially in the summers, when grassy trails are providing habitat to even more fleas and ticks.
- Read the labels on the products carefully
You should note that not every preventive product has the same ingredients, nor is every product made for all animals. The ones made for cats may not be suitable for dogs, and vice versa.
Make sure that the product you are going to be using on your dog should be made for dogs, and the label should say so.
- Check your dog for fleas and ticks regularly
If you are taking preventive measures, kudos. However, you still should check your furiend for fleas and ticks. Take a look through their fur after they come back from some outdoor time, or perhaps, a walk.
Some basic checking should be done under their paws and legs, between their toes, in their ears, and under their tails. You can notice that all these areas are hidden from plain sight, and hence, it’s important to check them. Fleas usually stay where the coat is thinner, like the belly and armpits.
Red spots, rashes, and irritation are a few signs that your dog has fleas and ticks.
If you do find fleas and ticks in your dog’s fur, make sure to consult your vet about the best way to remove them.
