DON'T LET TICKS
OVERWHELM YOU!
The list of tick transmitted diseases continues to grow: Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Cytauxzoonosis and Babesiosis. We can vaccinate for Lyme, but with the rest, we need to find other methods to prevent. The obvious solution for all these diseases is to control the ticks - but how?
With fleas, there is one predominant flea species and they all live in the same general way. However, the only common denominator all tick species share is that they will try to get on your dog if they are given the chance. With nine different tick species, all of which have different and shared wildlife hosts, trying to control ticks on your dog can seem impossible.
Tick numbers keep increasing
The increase in tick populations has been spurred by numerous factors. One of the factors contributing to this is the increase in white-tailed deer populations. Both species of "deer ticks", the Lone Star tick and the black leg tick, prefer to utilize the deer for its host. As the white-tail deer numbers have increased, both tick species increased, which also increased the spread of Lyme disease. Other common wildlife hosts for ticks include wild turkeys, field mice, and most warm-blooded animals.
Warmer winters are another factor that is increasing the number of tick populations. With a lack of continuous cold days during the winter months the tick populations are not dying off. They are able to survive and become a major issue for people and their pets during the spring and summer months.
Many tick species have been discovered in areas where they typically do not live. Migratory birds have been a big reason for the increase and spreading of tick populations to new areas. With all of these factors contributing to the increase and spreading of ticks it is very important to take the steps to prevent them on your pet.
An adult female tick can lay 1000 to 6000 eggs at a time in the environment, which hatch and become larvae. Larvae immediately search for their first blood meal – whether it's you, your pet or another wildlife host. Larvae will then drop off, molt, and become nymphs. Nymphs can already transmit disease, and they will begin to search for another host, feed and molt into adults 100 times their original size. These adults then fall off and lay eggs, starting the life cycle again.
How to protect your pet
Since there are nine species of ticks in the US, and each one has a different host & life cycle, it's obvious we need to repel and kill the ticks before they find a new home on your dog. Advantix® II, Frontline® Plus, FiproGuard™, FiproGuard™ Max and CERTIFECT™ are all monthly topicals that kill ticks. All of these products are safe and effective. Collars for fleas and ticks have also been used successfully in some areas, including the Preventic® 3-month collar.
One of the issues with monthly meds has been overwhelming the insecticide. Too many ticks will get on the dog at one time for the topical to handle, some may get past the topical insecticide. Revival recommends spraying your pet before exposing them to a high flea or tick area. If you jog with your dogs or take them hiking, camping, or just to the park, you should have a protective spray placed on their legs and tummy. By repelling the majority of pests, your topical treatment or collars will be successful at preventing your dogs from bringing ticks and fleas home. Pyrethrin is a great choice and safe to use, and is found in products such as Mycodex All-in-One® Spray and Adams® Plus Spray.
If you need to spray for ticks daily, then a tick collar can help repel ticks for you. Preventic® 3-month collar is designed just for ticks and can be safely added to a monthly topical protection regimen. The plastic technology slowly releases the active ingredient to the hair causing the repellent effect. Doubling up on protection is safe, effective, and necessary in high tick areas, especially since the mild winter will make this a bad tick year. Seresto™ is another flea and tick collar and is unique in that it offers 8 months of flea and tick control. It offers uninterrupted protection and with the convenience of not having to remember monthly applications.
Since every species of tick is intent on finding a home on your dog, control should involve more than one approach. By anticipating where the ticks may be and taking the necessary precautions, you're one step closer to keeping your pet, and your home, tick-free.
With fleas, there is one predominant flea species and they all live in the same general way. However, the only common denominator all tick species share is that they will try to get on your dog if they are given the chance. With nine different tick species, all of which have different and shared wildlife hosts, trying to control ticks on your dog can seem impossible.
Tick numbers keep increasing
The increase in tick populations has been spurred by numerous factors. One of the factors contributing to this is the increase in white-tailed deer populations. Both species of "deer ticks", the Lone Star tick and the black leg tick, prefer to utilize the deer for its host. As the white-tail deer numbers have increased, both tick species increased, which also increased the spread of Lyme disease. Other common wildlife hosts for ticks include wild turkeys, field mice, and most warm-blooded animals.
Warmer winters are another factor that is increasing the number of tick populations. With a lack of continuous cold days during the winter months the tick populations are not dying off. They are able to survive and become a major issue for people and their pets during the spring and summer months.
Many tick species have been discovered in areas where they typically do not live. Migratory birds have been a big reason for the increase and spreading of tick populations to new areas. With all of these factors contributing to the increase and spreading of ticks it is very important to take the steps to prevent them on your pet.
An adult female tick can lay 1000 to 6000 eggs at a time in the environment, which hatch and become larvae. Larvae immediately search for their first blood meal – whether it's you, your pet or another wildlife host. Larvae will then drop off, molt, and become nymphs. Nymphs can already transmit disease, and they will begin to search for another host, feed and molt into adults 100 times their original size. These adults then fall off and lay eggs, starting the life cycle again.
How to protect your pet
Since there are nine species of ticks in the US, and each one has a different host & life cycle, it's obvious we need to repel and kill the ticks before they find a new home on your dog. Advantix® II, Frontline® Plus, FiproGuard™, FiproGuard™ Max and CERTIFECT™ are all monthly topicals that kill ticks. All of these products are safe and effective. Collars for fleas and ticks have also been used successfully in some areas, including the Preventic® 3-month collar.
One of the issues with monthly meds has been overwhelming the insecticide. Too many ticks will get on the dog at one time for the topical to handle, some may get past the topical insecticide. Revival recommends spraying your pet before exposing them to a high flea or tick area. If you jog with your dogs or take them hiking, camping, or just to the park, you should have a protective spray placed on their legs and tummy. By repelling the majority of pests, your topical treatment or collars will be successful at preventing your dogs from bringing ticks and fleas home. Pyrethrin is a great choice and safe to use, and is found in products such as Mycodex All-in-One® Spray and Adams® Plus Spray.
If you need to spray for ticks daily, then a tick collar can help repel ticks for you. Preventic® 3-month collar is designed just for ticks and can be safely added to a monthly topical protection regimen. The plastic technology slowly releases the active ingredient to the hair causing the repellent effect. Doubling up on protection is safe, effective, and necessary in high tick areas, especially since the mild winter will make this a bad tick year. Seresto™ is another flea and tick collar and is unique in that it offers 8 months of flea and tick control. It offers uninterrupted protection and with the convenience of not having to remember monthly applications.
Since every species of tick is intent on finding a home on your dog, control should involve more than one approach. By anticipating where the ticks may be and taking the necessary precautions, you're one step closer to keeping your pet, and your home, tick-free.