How to get rid of ticks from your pet and your house

Ticks are hematophagous external parasites that feed themselves on blood of mammals, birds, amphibians and even reptiles. Ticks can spread germs that cause many diseases, the most common and well known being the Lyme disease and the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
The tick season usually peaks during the summer months, but, depending on the temperature, ticks can be active all year round. Usually they appear around the month of April and disappear in October. Ticks are mostly active outdoors and commonly they are found in tall grass, woods and forests and around water.

Here are some tips on how to get rid of ticks on your pets and therefore in your home.
1. Avoid tick breeding grounds. Keeping your pet indoors is the best way to avoid ticks. Ticks are commonly active outdoors and dogs and cats are the primary carriers of ticks on humans and into homes. So, when it’s tick season avoid woods, forests (especially where there are deer trails), and places where there is tall grass and brush.

2. Check your pets regularly. If your dogs or cats are allowed outdoors, check them thoroughly when they get back home. Look manually for ticks on daily basis, and pay particular attention to the paws, neck and head. Brush your dog or cat with a special brush that is made to remove fleas and ticks. Brushing is usually a good time to inspect your pet’s fur for ticks and fleas. And don’t forget to wash your pet’s bedding regularly too.

3. Use a good tick repellent. There are many tick repellent you can get at your local store or from your vet. The repellents can be in the form of sprays, topical solutions and collars. The topical repellents are usually the most effective and long lasting. Remember, always use the recommended dosage (to avoid over dosage) and don’t use the repellents on cuts or irritated skin. Frontline plus is an excellent topical solution that repells tick very efficiently. Click here to find out more.

4. Mown your lawn. If you have a lawn, mowing it regularly will help you keep the ticks away. Furthermore, remove brush, weed and tall grass, because this is where ticks like to wait for their designated host to pass by. Ticks don’t like short grass or dirt. You can also get a guinea fowl for your garden. This bird can eat daily quite a large number of ticks, keeping your surroundings “tick free”.

5. Use the tweezers to remove them. When you find a tick attached on your dog or cat’s skin (or on your skin!) use a pair of tweezers to remove it. The tick attaches itself on the host by burying its head under the skin. So when you’re removing the tick, don’t leave the head behind, because this can lead to infection. Position the tweezers close to the surface of the skin and then slowly pull straight up. Clean the site of the bite with alcohol or wash it with soap and water.

6. Don't put petroleum jelly or alcohol on it. Trying to remove ticks by putting petroleum jelly, alcohol, nail polish or oil on it is not recommended. Even though this method is usually successful in removing the tick, it is more likely that the tick will release toxins into your pet's or your body if you put these substances on it (when under stress it releases its toxins). So these methods can increase the chances of getting a tick borne illness.

7. Don’t throw it in the garbage. Once you have removed the tick don’t throw it in the garbage, because it can climb back. Don’t crush it with your hand or bare feet, because this can release the toxins that are inside the tick’s body. It is recommended to save the extracted tick in a sealed container so the vet can examine it. Having the tick that bit your pet (or you) can help doctors diagnose a possible disease. If not, just burn it or flush it down the toilet.

Frontline plus is a highly effective way to get rid of the ticks on your dog or cat.

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