Ticks are a common issue among pets. Many people ignore them and think they are harmless, but that couldn’t be further from reality. Ticks cause a lot of pain and make your pets feel uncomfortable. Additionally, those little insects also attract more of them.
Take into account that ticks can get attached to your fur babies in a matter of seconds. They can also get them from anywhere, so it’s crucial to take care of our pets at all times. Dogs and cats are both prone to get ticks.
Both of them suffer a lot from that issue. However, the worst thing about it is that not everyone knows how to deal with them or prevent them from appearing. Doing something wrong can end up harming your pets, so the best you can do is learn how to help your dog or cat.
We understand how stressful it can be to see your pets suffering. That’s why we recommend you keep reading this page to know how to prevent and deal with ticks on dogs and cats.
Why Are Ticks Dangerous?
Since some ticks are harmless to your pets and only cause discomfort, many people think all of them are harmless. Yet, some ticks carry germs that are highly dangerous to both dogs and cats. Some of the diseases they can cause to your pets are:
Dealing with those issues is not inexpensive, so you have to pay tons of money for vet’s appointments and medical treatment. Your pets can also pass those diseases to children, so keep an eye on that if you have kids living in your house.
How Can I Detect If My Pets Have Ticks?
It’s normal if you don’t notice ticks on your dogs or cats right away. However, everyone should learn how to do it to treat them as soon as possible.
If it seems like something is bothering your pet and it’s trying to scratch itself, your dog may have ticks. You can groom it with a comb and see if you catch anything. Ticks look for dark and hidden parts of the body, so try checking your dog thoroughly.
Not all cats let you comb their hair, but you need to check them for ticks, too. Run your hands through their body at any time you can to see if they have them. Ticks are really small, but you can feel them with your hands.
Regardless of that, ticks get bigger when they feed on your pet’s blood. That makes it easier for you to take them out. Yet, it also hurts your dog or cat, so try to avoid that kind of situation.
How to Prevent Ticks on Dogs and Cats
We know ticks are scary if you have pets. Letting those insects get into your household and pass germs to your little friends can cause you headaches. That’s why we want to help you deal with them correctly.
Naturally, there are many ways to prevent ticks from attacking your pets, so you just need to follow our advice and rest assured your pet is happy and healthy. That being said, here are some of the most effective ways of keeping your pets safe from ticks and issues of the sort:
Use Tick Prevention Products
Since ticks are a common and dangerous nuisance, many companies have developed many treatments and products to protect your pets from them. An example of those products are special anti-tick shampoo and creams that aim to keep ticks away from your pets.
Those products have chemicals that can kill ticks when they get to your pet’s body. Some of them can even make your mascot unattractive to them. Purchasing those products represents an investment in your pet’s safety and saves money from vet appointments, so you should consider getting them.
Regardless of that, some of those products are harmful to cats. That’s because many of the product’s chemicals have negative side effects on them. Yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t use them with cats, but we recommend you ask a vet which product benefits your cat the most.
Check Pets Everyday for Ticks
You should check your pets for ticks any time you can. It’s crucial to make that a habit since leaving ticks unattended attracts more of them. You don’t have to spend all day checking if they have ticks, though. Just run your hands through their body once a day to see if they are ok.
Keep Your Yard Clean
Ticks are prone to appear in dirty yards full of patches of tall grass. If you live in a house, you may let your pet run around your yard and play there. That activity is harmless as long as your garden is free of ticks. Look for places with uncut and dirty bushes and trim them to make your house safe for your pets.
How to Remove Ticks
Some situations are unavoidable. Ticks are not the exception to that, so some of them may bother your pets even if you do what you can to prevent them from appearing. If that happens, you have to remove them by yourself, that’s not an extremely difficult task, but you need to know how to do it.
- Calm Your Pet
Remember that your pet is suffering, so treat it with kindness before doing anything. That makes the process easier for both of you.
- Locate the Ticks
There is probably more than one tick on your dog or cat, so try locating all of them before starting to remove them.
- Take Them Out with Tweezers
Use tweezers to pick the ticks and take them out of where they are without crushing them. That process can be painful to your pet, so be careful with that. We recommend you use gloves.
- Kill the Ticks
To do this, just put them inside of a container with rubbing alcohol to kill them. Keeping them alive allows them to reproduce and worsens the problem.
- Treat Your Pet’s Injuries
Tick bites can get infected and hurt your pets. Treat them and clean them with antiseptic products to make sure your dog is safe. You should also clean the tweezers and wash your hands.
If you still have a tick infestation(or fleas) after all of this, it’s best to contact a professional pest control company for help.
If you’re looking for the right team to handle the issue for you, Synergy² is here to help. We provide trusted services throughout the area, so contact us for the best pest control services around.
Feel free to read more about us and decide if Synergy² is the right company for you. We have over 270 Five-Star Google reviews for pest control service in the Jackson metro area (Jackson/Madison/Brandon/Ridgeland). Check out our newest location reviews for pest control service in Jackson, MS here at Synergy² Jackson Pest Control!
Check out this awesome vet guide from our friends at Market Watch Guides!