Protect Your Dog: Tips for Tick Season
April 21, 2011 • Health & Wellness •
By Melissa Rogers, Co-Founder of shoo!TAG
Every year, thousands of dogs contract tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. Ticks are most active in the spring through the fall, and this is the season for owners be extra cautious as their dogs start spending more and more time outdoors.
While there is no foolproof way to guarantee that your dog won’t be bitten by a hazardous tick, there are many preventative measures that can be taken in order to keep the tick from attaching to your dog in the first place.
Here are five simple and natural ways you can help protect your fido friend from pesky ticks this season:
Thoroughly inspect your dog for ticks on a regular basis, especially when they have been in wooded areas or other habitats that are heavily populated with ticks. Be sure to carefully check the ears and between the toes, as these are common areas for ticks to hide on dogs.
Frequently clean and sanitize your dog’s bedding and confine your dog to specific sleeping areas. Remember to also thoroughly clean furniture in areas that pets tend to frequent and use using nontoxic or natural soap mixtures that contain citrus oil, which has been identified as a pleasant-smelling alternative to synthetic insect repellents on bedding.
Protect your dog with natural insect repellents rather than toxic sprays and lotions. Many leading commercial repellents and tick collars contain harsh chemicals that are harmful to both your dog’s health and the environment. As an ecofriendly alternative, products such as shoo!TAG™ help to provide your pup with lasting, chemical-free protection against ticks.
Eliminate potential hiding places for ticks within your home by caulking cracks and crevices in the floors and walls. This can be done naturally by using natural diatomaceous earth (DE) or baking soda.
Keep the length of your grass and weeds to a minimum. Ticks are most commonly found in wooded or overgrown places where there is abundant leaf litter, thick weeds, or high grass.
In the event that a tick does bite your dog, it’s important to get the tick off quickly. Do not attempt to remove the tick with your fingers, as this may leave part of the tick still attached to your dog’s body. Instead, you should use a pair of tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull it straight out without severing the head. Once you have removed the tick from your dog, rinse it down the sink or flush it down the toilet. If your dog shows any symptoms after the tick is removed, consult your veterinarian immediately.
