Best treatments to prevent ticks

[Ansumpasty]

We are getting a puppy very soon, and I’ve been researching the best way to prevent ticks. I don’t live in a particularly bad area for ticks, but they’re obviously about and Lyme is a worry of mine.

What’s the current best prevention? The Seresto collar keeps popping up, but I have young children and want them to feel comfortable playing and cuddling with the dog without having to flap about remembering to wash their hands every time they do. However, I do have a phobia of the horrible little things (ticks, not my kids ) and don’t want my fear of ticks putting me off walking the dog in forests, etc.

Thanks!

We do live in a high tick Lyme disease area and get lots of them on him and us as we walk through undergrowth alongside horses, cows, deers etc.

We use nexgard spectra which is a monthly tablet which covers lots of worms including lung worm, ticks and fleas. The ticks (and fleas) do have to bite him but they then die before they have chance to infect him. I can usually flick them off after 24 hours.

Thanks, @BiteyShark- the idea of having them crawling on the dog and us is almost enough to put me off! One of my friends is very ill from Lyme disease, so it’s definitely triggered a phobia in me!

I will have a look into that tablet, thank you!

We use Nexguard Spectra too.

I like the tablet because it covers the worms aspect so you only have one thing to give.

Originally we were using advocate which is a topical treatment for worms and my dog swims which was a pain, and the seresto collar for ticks. The seresto collar didn't really work for us but I have a friend who said it was great. Plus having two collars and a harness on was overkill on a relatively small dog.

@BiteyShark ah, so the topical treatments aren’t good for swimming? We live by the beach, so the dog will be swimming almost daily.

NexGard Spectra. It covers fleas, ticks, mange mites, lungworm and stomach worms. I was previously using a combination of Advocate spot-on and Drontal chewables but NexGard is much better as it's a chewy tablet that covers the important things, and isn't a spot on that makes your dog reek of chemicals for like 3 days.

I think the only thing it doesn't cover is tapeworms, which are not life threatening and easily treated when spotted. I'm most concerned about lungworm, as it can be difficult to spot.

@TeacupRex Thanks! Well that one seems to be the winner! Thinking a combination of that and a natural spray to actually repel them, before walks?

The NexGard is pretty potent stuff so if a flea or tick dares to hop onto your dog, the active ingredient will quickly cause paralysis and death of the parasite once they start feeding on the blood.

You can get herbal sprays and shampoos that fleas/ticks hate the smell of - lemongrass, citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary. But the NexGard should prevent infestations. Flea infestations are absolutely horrendous and take months to completely remove them from your house so I do try and keep up to date with the treatments :) Never seen a single tick on either of my dogs (thankfully, those little creatures are disgusting) but some areas are worse for those.

@TeacupRex brilliant, thanks! That sounds great and very reassuring. I don’t want my fear of ticks ruining the joy of getting the dog, as we’ve waited years for this!

You do need to check this out with your vet as nexguard does not suit all dogs and some vets do not prescribe it. Nexguard spectra will kill the ticks within 48 hours not 24. so the problem being that ticks will attach to your dog.

The only repellent is the seresto collar - this will work with dogs that swim and it will stop many of the ticks before they attach to the dog. If they do attach it will then kill them and the ticks will drop off.

Whilst it says within 48 hours I usually find I can flick them off the next day.

We still ended up with lots attached to my dog with the seresto collar and they seemed pretty well attached so it just didn't seem to work for us and one of the reasons we started to look for alternatives as he would get them all around his eyes.

If you are walking through forests don't forget to look at what you are wearing. Long trousers and sleeves will help you avoid getting them. I was cutting foliage in my garden and must have had my stomach exposed as I was reaching up and I have 'fond' memories of finding one attached to me there

Ansumpsty if you are walking on the beach (and not dunes) that will be the most effective way to avoid ticks.

Goodness, I knew they were about but I didn’t realise it was THAT easy to catch them! I’m in the North West, so perhaps not as bad as some areas. We do go to Snowdonia a lot and there is a forest right by my house, which is why I really want the best preventive medicine.

I think I will be sticking to the beach most days!

Oh and we are in Cornwall every few months, and I know there are a lot more down there. I wonder if I should ring around vets seeing if they prescribe nexguard first, before joining one only to find out they will only give me spot on or the like.

I’ve read good things about Bravecto? Anyone tried that?

I don’t really fancy the collar as my children are young and will be all over the dog and it’s collar!

We use Nexgard and I’ve found it really effective.
I wouldn’t use Bravecto. Some serious reactions. But of course animals can react to different treatments.

Just an aside. You can’t allow your children to be “all over” the dog. And anyway puppies are bitey little buggers.

@Wolfiefan I meant that as a figure of speech, ie touching and playing with the dog without washing their hands. If the dog had the seresto collar on, I wouldn’t want them touching her without washing their hands afterwards, which would end up with them never coming near her to avoid the bother of washing their hands all day long. That’s what I want to avoid

Phew!! It’s the same reason i stopped using spot ons on my giant girl. It meant no one could touch her at all from her ears to her shoulders for about three days!!

@Wolfiefan I’d do something stupid like forget and cuddle my face right onto the patch of hair and then spend the next 24 hours googling ‘does spot on solution on human eye ball cause blindness’

@Ansumpasty I have never cuddled my pets and ended up covered in deflea treatment. Honest!

We rescued a puppy recently. We were fostering and the adopted.

She came to us with mites. When she got to 2 kg she was given bravecto. Killed them in 24 hours. Our 3.5 year old cocker has had bravecto she she was young. We have never had a flea problem and she got 1 tick that we have found and it was dead with in 24 hours.

It's just about finding what's best for your dog. I would always use tablet, rather than collar or topically applied

Mine has bravecto tablet every 3 months to cover most things but especially ticks and a Milpro monthly tablet for worms. Which reminds me, it’s due today!!
We used to use advocate but there was no tick cover. Had a lovely hol in the Lake District marred by finding both sheep and deer ticks on the dog-revolting things!-and swapped to current regime.

Definitely settled on a tablet with a natural spray to repel them. Will find a vet who will prescribe either Nexgard or Bravecto. Thanks, everyone!

Please cld I ask about giving a very itchy 8 yr old cockerpoo, who is raw fed, has had fleas, caught when huvbienforfot to give her Advocate, just my luck, and vet not seem to sort it, we have spent nearly 300 quid , Apoquel, lotions,,potions , u name it .... she weighs 11 kg , please cld I give her , it what dose, a human antihistamine to try ...piriton or Loratadine, ..., Hubble says I cld make her very poorly, but I have read on here somewhere that people do ... it not sure the dose and if I really shld try. The various lotions do not help. Thank yiu very much.

I don’t understand @sunshinesuzie.
Has your dog got fleas?
Maybe start your own thread?