How to protect your best friend from ticks?

Spring and summer are a time of nature walks, when it is necessary to think about reliable protection of our pets against parasite infection.

Pliers are strangers among mites. Even the sticking of the tick itself on the skin is unpleasant, the place is irritated, red, swollen and even painful. The main danger, however, lies in the diseases that ticks carry. In animals, mainly borreliosis, babesiosis or ehrlichiosis are encountered. And even more so, prevention is easier than cure. Despite all the precautions, the tick may still find its way to your pet's skin. There is no need to worry unnecessarily, but to remove the ticks as soon as possible.

Clockwise or counterclockwise?

We do not coat the ticks with oil as previously recommended. The tick breathes through the entire body surface, the oil causes it to suffocate and the tick starts secreting bacteria and viruses, increasing the risk of infection. Even twisting the tick in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction is not a good idea. Just tilt the pliers a little to the sides and pull them straight, preferably with a special tweezer (available in a pharmacy) and then disinfect the site, preferably with iodine tincture. If you are unable to remove the entire tick, you should seek the help of a veterinarian.

For the prevention of parasites (ticks, fleas, slugs) there are a number of preparations, more or less effective, cheaper and more expensive, both known and less known. Some of them can also be found in pharmacies, but if you are interested in something special, it is better to contact a veterinarian.

How to choose?

Spot-on pipette-drops

Pipettes are among the best known remedies against ticks and fleas. Fipronil (Frontline, Controline, Frontline Combo, Certifect), permethrin (Advantix, Activyl Tick Plus) and dinotefuran (Vectra3D) in various combinations are the most common active substances in spot-on products. When choosing a preparation for a cat, it is important to know that they cannot metabolize (break down) permethrin, and therefore these preparations are toxic to a cat! In addition, some pipettes contain substances that also have a repellent effect, repel flying insects (Advantix, Vectra 3D). The parasite is killed when it comes into contact with the skin, before it is sucked and attached. This prevents transmission of the infection. Frontline Combo, unlike Frontline, also works on parasite development stages, similar to Certifect and Vectra 3D.

Spot on preparations are applied directly to the skin behind the neck or between the shoulder blades (also avoiding possible licking of the preparation). The product is absorbed from the injection site into the upper layer of skin within two to three days. The effect of these preparations usually lasts for a month against ticks and 1-3 months for fleas. After use of the preparation, the animal should not be bathed two to three days before and two days after application.

Their advantage is that they are suitable for show dogs, for dogs in close contact with their owner and also for families with small children. The effect of spot-on preparations can be reduced by frequent bathing with shampoo. The disadvantage is the necessity of application every month and the associated higher costs. Generally, they are not recommended for dogs weighing less than 2 kg and for animals less than 2 months old.

A novelty among spot-on products is the Bravecto pipette for cats, which lasts up to three months after a single application.

Collars against ticks and fleas

Anti-parasitic collars for dogs and cats differ from each other by the active substance and the duration of their action, protecting against fleas and ticks up to 4-8 months. The active substance is released gradually and thus ensures a long-term effect. Kiltix, Scalibor and Foresto collars are especially popular. Kiltix protects against fleas and ticks for seven months, Scalibor acts against fleas for 4 months, against ticks for 6 months and at the same time has a six month repellent effect on mosquitoes. The latest Foresto collar promises up to 8 months protection against fleas and ticks.

For the collar to work, it must be in contact with the skin (tightened so that two fingers can fit under it). When folded, its efficiency decreases. Collars are also water resistant. To maintain long-term effect is important maintenance, once a month it is advisable to degrease the collar with soapy water.

The advantage is a single application and long-term effectiveness. The disadvantage may be the smell of some collars, which can annoy owners of dogs. In addition, some dogs tend to lose collars, cats are more likely to get caught somewhere (except for collar Foresto, which has a two-stage safety system).

sprays

If you choose a spray to protect against ticks and fleas, it is important to use a sufficient amount of the product and distribute it evenly throughout the animal. However, most sprays kill only the parasites present on the body of the animal.

The disadvantage is the animal's unpleasant application and short-term effect. They are suitable for chicks and animals that need to be protected only occasionally.

Anti-flea shampoos

Like sprays, they have a short-term effect and only destroy the parasites present on the body of the animal. They are suitable for a single treatment of a dog or cat.

tablets

Among the most recent and probably the most effective antiparasitic agents at present are preparations in the form of tablets. The tablets are flavored and in most cases accepted without problems by dogs. Their effect against fleas and ticks starts very quickly in 8-12 hours. On the market are tablets with different duration of action: Bravecto - 3 months, NexGard - 4 weeks and Simparica 5 weeks. The tablets may be used in dogs from the age of eight weeks onwards and weighing 1.5 kg. Their advantage is a single oral application The tablet is a suitable choice for families with small children, for long-haired dogs and dogs that are often shampooed. The disadvantage is the mechanism of action of the product - it works only after contact of the parasite with the blood of the dog, the tablets have no repellent effect.

Natural - based preparations

For owners who do not want to use chemical products or their pets are extremely sensitive, there is the possibility to use alternative natural products in the form of solutions (cdVet lavender or tea ticks, Anicosa spot on etc.) or on the bioenergy principle (Tic-Clip tags) , Bio-Pend), orulture (Tick Less tag). The advantage is their complete safety for all age and weight categories, they are also suitable for pregnant and lactating bitches. However, the efficacy of these preparations is questionable and very individual.

A large number of different types of anti-fleas and ticks are currently available on the market. They differ in the way of application, duration of effect and price. They have advantages and disadvantages, but none of them will provide 100% protection.

The most common mistake is the use of insufficient amount of preparation, applying a spot-on to the hair, frequent shampooing the dog, too loosely attached collar or its folding at night.

Regarding the possible side effects, they are generally of a local nature - hair loss and skin redness at the site of contact with the skin. It is also important to know that not all preparations are applicable to cats.

Recommendation PrimaVet

Based on our experience, we recommend collars for dogs of larger breeds and outdoor animals all year round. On the other hand, spot-ons are an advantage for cats and small breeds of dogs and animals living in close contact with the owner.

The information on this page is not a substitute for the instructions for use or substitutes for a doctor. Read the package leaflet carefully before taking the medicine.