Best way to deal with ticks

[blueskypink]

I put advantage on my dogs each month - for fleas and lungworm. I've asked at the vets before and asked again today if there is something that prevents ticks as well (ie all in one application). I'm told not. I'm sure I've read on here that there is, but if there is then our Vet doesn't stock it.

Most of the year is tick free, but last week we found 5 or 6 ticks on one of our dogs over the course of a week. There aren't really any grass free walking places near us and we can't keep the youngest out of the long grass where they're likely to be

Options seem to be:

Keep checking and remove ticks we find
A tick collar
Advantix or Frontline for ticks applied in between Advantage applications.

We're not in a Lymes disease area.

I ended up buying the Advantix and now DH is grumbling about overloading with poisons and thinks we should just keep removing when we find them. He also reckons the vet nurse is wrong when she says Advantix repels ticks and thinks they will bite anyway before they die so could still potentially pass on any disease.

I'm in two minds. It's really only an issue for 3-4 months over the summer and we normally only see a few over that time. What do others do?

[Wolfiefan]

Frontline is rubbish.
We use Nexgard which covers ticks but can be hard to get hold of.

[Wolfiefan]

Seresto collar is also something I've heard of.

[blueskypink]

Yes I looked at a seresto collar but it was about £65 and lasts for 7-8 months. I went for the Advantix as I'd only use it for half that time and it was cheaper.

I'm interested though in whether people don't use preventative tick treatments and just remove ticks when they find them.

[Wolfiefan]

Cheaper online?

[BiteyShark]

I use nexgard spectra as we live in a high tick area so aware of all the illnesses you can get from them. Seresto collar didn't work for us but for my friends dog it did. I prefer to treat as we get lots on him as we walk through forests with deers etc so can be 2-3 after every single walk. Some have attached to his eyelid and there was no way I could remove them there with tick twizzlers and don't have an hour a day to find every single one.

[blueskypink]

That must be awful Bitey. I would definitely treat in your shoes.

Horrible little buggers.

[blueskypink]

Bitey - does whatever you use actually repel ticks, or do they bite and then die/fall off?

[BiteyShark]

Unfortunately they do need to bite him and then they die within 24 hours which should be quick enough to avoid things like lymes disease. I hate them but sometimes I am lucky and see them crawling on him before they attach to him (or me ).

I think if it's just occasional ticks you find then maybe treating is over the top. I think the seresto collar repels them if I remember correctly. My friend swears she has never seen any on her dog since she put one on although she doesn't walk in the forest much so not sure if it's just the quantity of them that meant it didn't work for us. The worst was when we took him into be neutered at the vets and they found one down there

[BeachyUmbrella]

Seresto collars here. I put them on in March and off in about October.
We are in a high tick area with a bush bashing spaniel and they have worked for us.
Before that I used Prac tic, which I still use once in the winter.
Remember to get a prescription from the vet and order online, so much cheaper.

[Wolfiefan]

I saw a pic of ticks in between toes and even one on a dog's gum!
We are having issues with supply of Nexgard though. May have to look into alternatives.

[TooTrueToBeGood]

We get Bravecto from our vet. It's a chewy tablet that protects for 3 months so we get 2 per year to cover him through the bulk of the tick season. Any ticks that do latch to him die extremely quickly.

[Wolfiefan]

I wouldn't use Bravecto. Too many reports of side effects. And if your dog does react you can't remove it from their system.

[TheHodgeoftheHedge]

I also use bravecto and have found it superb with no side effects for my lot. Does it really have any more side effects than the other long term treatments?
What I don't use is any of the flea/tick treatments such as Frontline which are fipronil based. The fleas around here seem to be completely immune to the stuff!

[BeachyUmbrella]

We can't get hold of Nexgard Spectra at all.... we tried that last year and I was happy with it, but no supply here at all.

[BiteyShark]

BeachyUmbrella what are you using now? I have 2 months worth left so preparing myself for none when I go back to the vets (really hoping they have saved some for their current users).

[Wolfiefan]

We've been lucky with the Nexgard as they have it for the giant dogs. I have three months supply but don't know what to do if they run out.
Frontline is rubbish.
Spot ons are a nightmare as you need so much and she ends up covered from ears to shoulders in stinky stuff and looks wet for days after.
Seresto could work but I'm worried about small child getting her hands on it.
Bravecto is a no. It works for three months so if you do get a reaction you're stuffed. At least you can take a collar off!

[TooTrueToBeGood]

I wouldn't use Bravecto. Too many reports of side effects. And if your dog does react you can't remove it from their system.

I've seen the reports. I prefer to trust in my vet and the regulatory framework (which is on a par with the regulatory oversight of human medicines) rather than anecdotal Facebook "evidence" by the canine equivalent of anti-vaxxers and big pharma conspiracy theorists.

[Wolfiefan]

Too many people in the breed have seen or heard of bad side effects. I avoid FB scaremongering but having weighed up the risk it isn't something I would use. Thankfully there are alternatives.

[BiteyShark]

So been at daycare today where he gets two forest walks and tonight I have killed two that were crawling on his fur, spotted two attached to one of his eye lids, one attached inside his ear and one attached to his neck. That's without me even looking for them.

Poor dog . Will pull the attached ones off him tomorrow when they are dead. No way would he let anyone near his eye right now and he's strong when he wants to be.

[blueskypink]

Oh Bitey - that's awful. Thankful that we don't have it anywhere near that bad.

[agedknees]

Use bravecto for my dog. Never had any problems with it.

[BiteyShark]

Today has been particularly bad so must be prime tick season. The worst bit now is inspecting myself to make sure none have attached to me whilst I have been stroking him

[Tinkobell]

We have to use Bravecto! No question of it. No side effects reported here.
I'm in Surrey and we have a major tick problem here - all year round. Dogs are bitten, kids have been bitten (went nasty needed antibiotics) and DH bitten. I reluctantly fog an area of the garden ...which I dislike doing but they are such a menace.

[LimeJellyHead]

We use a Scalibor Collar, mostly for Sandfly (we are in the Med) but it also prevents ticks. However, like you say, any of these preventative products are indeed more chemicals in their system.

If you prefer to catch them (before they feed and pass on diseases i.e. within 12-24 hours, I think it is) then I would invest in a Tick Twister to remove them. Remember with removal not to squeeze or squash the tick, not to frighten it and not to ever add any chemicals or anything like that to the tick, ever (that goes for flames, Vaseline, nail polish remover or ANY of the other things that used to be suggested). Yes, the tick may come off that way but only after regurgitating into your dog and potentially spreading nasty diseases.

[LimeJellyHead]

PS Have a jar of water with a lid handy. I find it best to drown the little buggers.... for days.