Ticks - Protection & Prevention
Tick protection and prevention is important during the spring & summer months and is especially important for members of the Chewy & Pals pack because we hike a trail everyday. The best tick prevention is use of a monthly Flea & Tick medication and a daily check of your pet's coat and body offers added protection. When I talk to Chewbacca's Vet I explain that he needs a Tick & Flea medication versus Flea & Tick. Being a hiker ticks not fleas are my number one concern. Trifexis Warning
Many dogs use Trifexis because of its effectiveness as a heart worm medication. However, if your pet is on Trifexis you need to know that it DOESNOT contain a tick preventative. Trifexis controls heart worms, round worms, hook worms and fleas but doesn’t protect against ticks. So far this spring ticks have been found on 2 dogs in my pack, one was on Trifexis and the second dog was on nothing at all. Tick Medications Chewy uses “NexGard” for tick and flea control. NexGard a chewable tablet is the next generation of Frontline's Flea & Tick prevention medications. For heart worm prevention Chewy uses “Iverhart Max”. NexGard is just one of several reliable tick medications. I recommend you talk to your Vet about your pets specific needs. I plan to add a 3 month tick collar to Chewy’s arsenal. Use of a monthly flea medication is a requirement for pets utilizing Chewy & Pals services. Dogs that don't use a monthly tick medication will not go hiking, but can still board. In a future blog posting I will discuss homeopathic approaches to tick protection. For additional information on ticks and tick borne dieases go to the following site.
http://pets.webmd.com/flea-tick-expert-12/dog-ticks-and-tick-borne-diseases?page =1 Tick Checks & Removal
Another important element of protection is performing a hand check of a pets coat and body after being on the trail. I will check each pet’s coat and body for ticks when we leave the trail. I will brush long coats and hand check short coats. As added protection I need you to check your pet's coat and body. Go to the following site for detailed information on how to check your pet for ticks. http://pets.webmd.com/flea-tick-expert-12/remove-tick
