Friday, August 24, 2012

Finding an Effective Kind of Dog Tick Treatment

There are three things basically that you need to think about before picking a particular kind of dog tick treatment. You need to think about how effective it is, what the side effects are that your dog will have to put up with, and you have to think about how much money the treatment will cost.

There are many options of course – right from prescription medication to all kinds of over-the-counter treatments. Alternative medicine has dog tick treatment options too.

Of course, you need to also consider how much hard work a particular treatment option involves. For instance, about the most effective way of getting rid of the ticks on a dog would be to closely look at your dog's fur everyday to see if there are any ticks or fleas, and then to manually remove them with tweezers. This does work, and it's completely effective. There are no side effects, either. But it does require an investment of time. If you're not happy with this, you'll need to consider some of the chemical treatments and holistic treatments that there are.

It's not a good idea to not just choose a dog tick treatment option on your own. It's always best to start with your dog's veterinarian. He'll examine your dog, see if he has ticks, and then tell you that the problem is serious enough that you should consider prescription medication.

If he does find that there are ticks, he'll probably go on to do a test to see if the ticks are causing any other health problems. In fact, this is an important reason why you would want to consult with a veterinarian first. Your problems aren't over the moment those ticks are off your dog. There are diseases that ticks cause that need looking into.

Most often, the vet will prescribe topical medications. Products that require daily application, are usually the best. You could easily find products that only require a weekly or monthly application. If you have a busy schedule, you might find this considerably more convenient.

For the most part, you'll go with sprays or shampoos or collars first, and only go with pills if none of these work.
Tick medications can  contain very toxic chemicals. The EPA  has put out a notice that warns people about these problems. Many dogs die every year, succumbing to these effects.

You could alternatively, consider natural products before you go to something toxic. Peppermint, lemon grass, castor oil – these are a few natural products that are considered effective against ticks.

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