15 Best Ways To Get Rid Of Ticks From Your Dog And Prevent Them

Ticks are dangerous and can really cause lot of harm to your dog health so it becomes a priority of get rid of these bugs as fast as possible. Many dogs suffer from ticks infestation. So, I decided to write an article that will he helpful for everyone.

What are the best ways to get rid of ticks from dogs? Medication, shampoos, healthy diet, lawn cleaning are some of the best ways by which you can get rid of ticks and also prevent them.

1. Use Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth can be very useful to get rid of ticks from your dogs. Apply this power on your dog just like you’re applying talcum powder and then you can spread the powder inside the fur using your hand. Leave it in their fur for 3-4 days and then wash them. Do use moisturizing shampoo to remove dryness and then comb their fur. Do it 2-3 times and ticks will be gone. If you want you can buy diatomaceous earth from here.

2. Tick Shampoos

Tick Shampoos are really effective against removing ticks. It contains formula that kills ticks. Use it once every 2 weeks to keep ticks away. You need to use it frequently as it the ingredients may not last for too long. It’s time consuming but it’s really effective and inexpensive. Carefully apply the shampoo all over your dog’s fur and then gradually wash it. Don’t rush things here because the tick is already hurting your dog and if you add too much pressure while applying the shampoo your dog may show some discomfort. If you want you can also buy tick shampoo here.

3. Use Oral Medication

You can use Bravecto. It has active ingredient is Furalaner. This is high effective in removing ticks. Once consumed it remains in blood for 8 weeks and kills ticks that tries to consume your dog’s blood. In case if your dog lost certain amount of its fur and if your dog’s fur has lost the lustrous glow then it will come back after giving the 3rd medicine. You need to give the medicine 3 times for it to be fully effective. Wait for 7 days after 3^rd medicine is given and you’ll see the difference.

4. Use Tweezer And Pull It Out

You can pull out ticks by using a tweezer. Here is the way to safely do it.

• Part your dog’s hair around the tick using your fingers
• Put your tweezer around the ticks and gradually start applying pressure
• You see the tick coming out continue adding more pressure unless the ticks come out
• Clean the area with soap water, or alcohol or iodine
• Flush the tick or you can keep the kill the tick by putting it in alcohol and keep it unless your dog get tested for any tick related disease.

5. Healthy Diet

Ticks are attracted to lusterless dry skin so you need to take good care of your dog by providing your dog with good food. This will keep your dog’s skin health and shiny and will attract less tick and will be less prone to tick attacks. First your dog’s diet must contain sufficient amount of protein, carbohydrates and all other valuable ingredients but the most important of them all is high quality and adequate amount of protein. It is a must for lustrous fur. So make sure the food your dog is getting has plenty of proteins along with other nutrients.

6. House Cleaning

Keep your house clean as ticks can be hidden inside mats, under bed sheets, in children’s toy and in your dogs sleeping place waiting to get back inside your dog’s body. Just by cleaning your house you can reduce the attacks of tick over your dogs to a great extent. You can use room cleansers to clean the room and that will get rid of the ticks. Because room cleaner contains chemicals that can kill ticks. Wash your rooms daily to minimize the chances of tick attack.

7. Lawn Cleaning

You should keep your lawn clean as there can be many ticks that can attack your dog since your dog goes out to play in lawn. Your dog may often play around bushes, under trees and can go inside bushes and that can become problematic. Ticks are also attracted towards dry leaves so make sure to clean away dry leaves. Cut bushes and clean whats fallen under trees what will reduce the chances of tick attack. So it’s very important to clean your lawn to protect your dog from getting attacked on the first place.

8. Tick Collars

Tick collars are really effective against keeping ticks away. There are three types of tick collars

One is that releases a gas to repel ticks and another type is that gets releases a special medication that spreads through dogs natural skin oil and the third type does both.

• On the first type tick needs to bite before the gas is released
• On the second type ticks gets repelled even before they bites
• And the third type does both. If repels ticks first but still if the ticks enters your dog’s body then it releases the chemical through natural skin oil to get rid of ticks.

You should read the label in the box before buying.

All of them are effective.

These collars can lasts upto 8 months and they are very effective in protecting your dogs face and eyes where ticks mostly attack. by the way you can buy tick collar here.

9. Use Vinegar

Vinegar doesn’t kill ticks directly but helps in removing tick once it has bitten there are two steps

Step 1

• Pour white undiluted vinegar in a cup. Then soak a cotton ball in the Vinegar
• Then put the touch the cotton ball or cotton swab on the butt of the tick. T
• This will allow the tick to come out.

Step 2

• Mix 50 ml of Vinegar with 200 ml of water.
• Put it in sprayer and spray it all over your dog body
• This will get rid of ticks.

10. Use Lemon

• Cut a lemon in half and mix it with 200 ml of boiling water and mix
• Let it mix for 45 minutes and let it cool down
• Put it in a sprayer and spray it over your dog. Make sure it doesn’t gets into your dog’s eyes.

11. Use Neem Oil

Neem oil also works really well to get rid of ticks from your dog. You can apply Neem oil directly without mixing it with anything. It’s good for your dog’s furs and skin. But do remember there is a difference in Neem oil and Neem essential oils. If you’re using Neem essential oil then you should dilute it. Jut put 5 drops of Neem essential oil and mix it with 200 ml of water and then spray it over your dog using a sprayer that will do the job. It’s is one of the nature’s gift and is really useful for your dog. Even if your dog is really not suffering from tick attack you can still use Neem oil over your dog skin to keep it healthy and nourished and as a prevention from tick attack. You can use it daily or 3-4 times per week.

12. Use Garlic

There is a misconception that garlic is bad for you dog which is completely wrong. Garlic when consumed at a certain dosage is really helpful for your dog. It helps in keeping ticks away.

Here is the measurements for using garlic :-

About 1/3 of freshly chopped garlic per 10 lbs of your dogs weight. This measurement is ideal for keeping ticks away. Garlic is one of those things that is hated by many insects because of its strong smell. Your dog may also hate the smell of garlic so you need to mix it properly with food so the smell is minimized and then you should offer the food. If your dog still hesitates to eat the food then consider changing the food and add a different recipe. This can happen in some cases different dog has different reactions. They have a really sensitive nose. If your dog is not willing to eat the garlic mixed food then don’t force them instead reduce the garlic a bit and gradually increase when your dog starts eating it. Creating a habit here is more important as it will help your dog in long term forcing can lead to total rejection so don’t force your dog.

Note: It is always better to consult a doctor if you see ticks on your dog’s body. Veterinary doctors will give your dog the approximate solution to the problem.

13. Keep Your Dog Away From Other Animals

Keep your dog away from animals like squirrel, raccoon, stray dogs and cats as they may contain ticks so if you have squirrel in your yard then make sure your dog doesn’t interact with the squirrel nor goes near it as ticks can jump from their body to your dog’s body. This step will stop tick transference which is pretty common.

14. Tick Dip

Tick dip is a concentrated chemical that  you need to dilute it by using water and then apply it over your dog. Allow it to air dry, don’t wash you dog unless it has dried. Don’t use it over young dogs or pregnant dogs. Wear a mask and goggle while applying and also make sure the chemicals doesn’t get into your dogs eyes and ears. As the chemicals are very strong.The chemicals can even harm humans so wear the goggles and wear gloves while applying.

15. Nematodes

Nematodes are microscopic worm like organisms that feed on ticks and other pests. They are usually found in soil. It kills ticks by feeding on ticks larvae and eat them thus, stopping them from multiplying. Ticks arachnids and are related to mice and spiders. Nematodes are tiny round worms that enters ticks body by finding an opening once inside it releases symbiotic bacteria that dissolves the tick from inside and multiples rapidly leading to quick death of the tick. Once the host is dead nematodes feeds on the host and matures to adulthood. It is highly effective and you buy it from Amazon.

Dos And Don’ts

While using tweezers it very important to know what you should do and what you shouldn’t do

1. If you’re using tweezers then don’t press too hard to pull ticks that will make it more painful for your dog.
2. While using the tweezers pull the tweezer straight up instead of sliding it back and forth to remove the tick.
3. Don’t squeeze too hard around the neck of the tick as the neck can break and the sting can stay in your dogs body making it even more problematic.
4. Don’t let your dog scratch the places where ticks have bitten as it can open up the wound thus increasing the irritation even more.
5. After successfully removal of the tick if you see redness increasing instead of decreasing then immediately consult a veterinarian. Don’t try natural remedies or try to diagnose yourself. Ticks carries many diseases keeping it untreated can be life threatening.
6. If one of your dog has been attacked by tick then keep other dogs away from that dog to avoid transference of ticks
7. Mix the medicine properly with food and by grinding them and then feed that food to your dog.
8. If you’re using a spray then keep your dog distracted by giving him or her food Because if he she is not distracted then your dog will run away after a single incomplete spray and if you want the spray to work properly then you need to spray it properly.
9. If ticks have bitten your dog in its eyes then, don’t try to pull it off using tweezers by yourself just call a veterinarian to do the job.
10. If there are several ticks Inside your dog’s body and your dog is looking weak and lifeless then don’t try to to remove ticks by yourself call a veterinarian. You dog may need blood as these ticks absorb lot amount of blood.
11. Always wear gloves and masks while applying powders and sprays over your dog.
12. Ticks loves warm places so in case if you can’t find ticks then look around the groin area, around the butt, around the eyes. These are the ticks favourite spots

Some Tick Transmitted Diseases That You Shouldn’t Try To Treat It Yourself

There are various kinds of Ticks and majority of them can transfer disease to dog. Different Ticks transfers different kind of disease. Some of the most common tick transferred diseases that are found in America are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick paralysis, ehrlichiosis. These diseases can get transferred when Ticks bites your dog.

These tick transmitted diseases are common in America but these diseases can happen to your dog even if you stay at other places.

Here are some symptoms of Lyme Disease

1. Sensitive to touch
2. Still walking with arched back
3. Fever, loss of appetite and depression
4. Difficulty in breathing
5. Heart problems although rare
6. Nervous system problems although rare
7. Swollen around the lymph bite

Some Symptoms Of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

1. Irregular heartbeat
2. Depression
3. Blood in urine
4. Lethargic
5. Loss of coordination while walking
6. Inflammation, conjunctivitis in eyes
7. Difficulty in blood clotting
8. Anorexia
9. Discolored or purple colour spots around the skin
10. Swollen around the area of lymph bite

Symptoms Of Tick Paralysis

1. High blood pressure
2. Poor reflexes or complete loss of reflexes
3. Vomiting
4. Low muscle tone
5. Excessive drooling
6. Loss of appetite
7. Weakness at the hind limbs
8. Complete loss of movement total paralysis
9. Fast heart rate

Symptoms Of ehrlichiosis

1. Weakness
2. Loss of appetite
3. Depression
4. Difficulty in breathing
5. Lethargic
6. Limb edema

There is also a chronic stage in ehrlichiosis

1. Severe weight loss
2. Head tilt
3. Paralysis
4. Kidney failure
5. Seizures can also happen
6. Abnormal bleeding
7. Fever and anemia
8. Lack of coordination

If you see these symptoms in your dog then immediately consultant a veterinarian never try to treat it yourself. These symptoms usually occurs after 1-3 weeks after tick infestation and even if you have removed the tick this symptoms can still occurs as the tick may already has transferred the disease.

American Canine Hepatozoonosis (Needs To Be Mentioned)

American Canine Hepatozoonosis is pretty common in dogs. These diseases can occur if  your dog eats an infested animal that was infested by nymph or adult gulf coast Ticks. The infestation can be serious and deadly. Symptoms like high fever, difficulty or stiffness in movement, weight loss and complete loss of appetite. You’ll see muscles around the head of your dog wasting away. Discharge from your dog eyes are also very common. Sometimes these symptoms can start showing after 3-4 months in that case without assuming what’s going on immediately consult a veterinarian. The time frame on when these diseases will become active varies from dog to dog but if you see these symptoms then don’t delay take your dog to checkup.

Some Additional Information That You Should Know

Often times dog affected by Ticks end up scratching that area and they eventually lose their hair and have severe weight loss, they become lethargic and usually lacks energy to even find their food. The weakness is exploited by other dogs thus making his life even more difficult and that dog end up dying. As a result the ticks search for new host and end up getting into other dog and then that dog again goes through the same cycle and end up dying and if the dog stays in group which they usually do then, most of the members of the group gets infected. This usually happens with stray dogs because they are left untreated and they carry the symptoms over months and they end up dying. Some and if you dog is interacting with these dogs then your dog can also get effected. These stray dogs can be identified easily as they have less fur to almost no fur, looks malnourished and weak.