- Maintain weed control Ticks are found in weedy, tall grassy, and shrubby regions where they can easily attach themselves to passing animals and people. Simply keeping your lawn well-mowed will help to keep ticks out of your yard. Keep weeds to a minimum in your gardens and provide plenty of space between shrubs and perennials. This makes it simpler for your pets to walk through the gardens without coming into contact with the plants and reduces the number of locations for ticks to hide.
- Consider using Lemon Eucalyptus Oil as a treatment (dogs only)
- Fido may still go into a tick-infested region even if your yard is devoid of them. Additionally, there is a considerable probability that your dog will pick up ticks if you frequently walk him in woodland or remote regions. A fantastic remedy for this issue is lemon eucalyptus oil (of a specific kind, not a blend of lemon and eucalyptus oils). It is a natural insect repellent that keeps biting flies, ticks, and mosquitoes away. Combine 7 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil with 32 ounces of distilled water in a spray container. To ward off bugs, sprinkle some on your dog’s bedding or softly mist between your dog’s shoulder blades. Keep in mind that essential oils should only ever be applied to a pet’s fur after being diluted.
- Keep pets with long hair Long haired cats and dogs are more susceptible to tick infestations because the extra fluff makes it easier for ticks to travel and hide. Think about giving your dog a summertime haircut (but not too short because it protects him from sunburn). The greatest option if you don’t want to trim a longhaired cat for the summer may be to keep him indoors or provide him with a little outdoor space away from tall grass and weedy areas. And before going inside, make sure to thoroughly check for ticks.
- Plant Gardens with Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth.
- Even if you keep lots of space between plants and weed frequently, your flowers and shrubs may still contain some ticks. Use food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in your gardens to safeguard your pets. This is a good treatment for ticks, fleas, and other pests since it dehydrates insects.
- Make Your Backyard a Wildlife Haven
- One of the best strategies to control the tick population is to introduce these predators to your yard because ticks have numerous natural enemies. Use perennials and flowering shrubs to draw in birds, small mammals, and even some amphibians that consume insects. Less ticks will be present in your area the more wildlife you can draw into your yard.
- It sounds insane, but keep chickens or guinea hens! Ticks are among the many things they will consume. In fact, South African researchers discovered that hens will consume up to 10 ticks each hour in tick-infested locations. A few hens will significantly reduce the tick population while providing you with farm-fresh eggs if you have a fenced-in yard or enough area to let them roam.
- Employ a lint roller.
- Short-haired animals respond nicely to this technique. Use a tape-style lint roller on your dog (and yourself) after taking a walk in the woods to remove any ticks.
- Conduct regular tick checks
- Occasionally, despite your best attempts, ticks will still end up on your pets. Check your pet daily, ideally each time they enter the house from the outside, to avoid tick bites. Pay close attention to places that your pet might struggle to access, such as the area around the head, behind the ears, and between the legs. Even the eyelids are a haven for smaller deer ticks. Be meticulous!
Consult your veterinarian, who is knowledgeable with the medical history of your pet, if you’re unclear about the appropriate tick therapy for your pet.
What can I use to my dog to deter ticks?
Ticks are typically killed immediately upon contact when your dog is bathed with a shampoo containing medicinal chemicals. While labor-intensive, this method can be used to protect your dog during tick season at a low cost. As the therapeutic chemicals won’t remain as long as a spot-on or oral drug, you will need to repeat the procedure more frequently, roughly every two weeks.
What naturally keeps ticks away from dogs?
Ticks and fleas won’t be as drawn to your dog’s blood if you use apple cider vinegar (ACV). If possible, always buy organic ACV. As a natural tick repellant, add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the dog’s food or water dish.
Topical/External Tick Preventatives
As a natural tick prevention for dogs, there are numerous tick powders (and sprays) that use herbal mixtures. Here is a straightforward three-ingredient recipe for a natural tick repellent for dogs:
- Dissolved Earth
- Powdered NEEM
- Yield powder
All three ingredients should be combined equally and thoroughly. Pull back the fur on your dog and sprinkle a small bit of it all over their body. Avoid getting it in your dog’s eyes or mouth.
Herbal flea and tick collars are available for purchase, just like powders and sprays. You can also create your own natural therapies, like the following, to treat dog ticks:
Try Cedar Oil Spray
Natural, non-toxic insect and tick repellents include cedar oil. It is sprayable straight onto skin and clothing. Use on both people and animals is safe. Ticks and other bothersome insects are not only repelled by cedar oil but are also killed by it. Online, at the majority of pet stores, and at big-box stores, cedar oil spray is available for purchase.
Homemade Tick and Insect Repellent
Try out this easy recipe. Just combine, then use on exposed skin before going outside:
- Citronella essential oil, 9 drops
- Tea Tree essential oil, 6 drops
- 6 drops of essential peppermint oils
- 1 tablespoon of jojoba or almond oil
Eucalyptus Oil
Ticks are known to be effectively repelled and killed by eucalyptus oil. Simply add 20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a small spray container with 4 ounces of filtered or distilled water. Spray over skin, shoe laces, and pant cuffs after shaking the container. It’s okay to use on dogs (eucalyptus oil must be diluted with the water before application on dogs).
Neem Oil
Ticks can be repelled and removed naturally by applying need oil. Add a few drops to your hand’s palm before applying to exposed skin. Additionally, it may be thinned and combined with almond or another clear carrier oil. Dogs can use it safely when diluted. Applying a few drops of neem oil directly to a tick can cause it to immediately extract itself.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Once more, apple cider vinegar comes to the rescue! This great organic treatment aids in tick deterrence. The following solution can be sprayed on skin that is exposed, lawn furniture, and clothing. In a spray bottle, mix the following ingredients:
- 2 glasses of water
- Apple cider vinegar, 4 tablespoons
- two tablespoons of natural neem oil
Certain Aromatherapy Essential Oils
They not only have a wonderful scent but are also considered to be effective tick deterrents. Ticks will stay away from anything that smells like lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, peppermint, and rose geranium because they detest the scent of such plants. Any of them, individually or in combination, can be used to make DIY sprays, or they can be mixed with almond oil and applied to exposed skin. Any of the aforementioned concoctions should be made using 100% organic essential oils, which are available online at PennHerb products.
Eat Garlic!
We may now add one more benefit to the long list of advantages garlic provides for our health. Regular garlic ingestion or the use of garlic supplements lowers the risk of tick bites. Garlic causes the body to produce an unpleasant odor.
*Cautions:
- Please with your veterinarian before feeding garlic to your pet.
- It is not advised to use essential oils on cats. For advice on how to effectively treat cats for fleas and ticks, speak to your veterinarian.
What canine tick prevention method is the safest?
To adequately protect their patients, veterinarians often advise dog flea and tick collars, topical flea and tick treatments, or oral flea and tick drugs (sometimes in combination). Here are some of the safest flea treatments for dogs available right now, along with some of its benefits and drawbacks.
Dog Flea and Tick Collars
Modern dog flea collars are generally safe solutions for controlling fleas and ticks (unlike older collars, which were largely ineffective). Right present, the Seresto collar is a highly popular choice.
It employs imidacloprid and flumethrin to eradicate ticks as well as fleas in all stages of development. The collar is a practical substitute for monthly preventive treatments because its effectiveness lasts for 8 months (as long as you limit its exposure to water).
However, if you have young children in your house, keep them from playing with the reflector clips or a Seresto collar. With small children who have a tendency to put everything in their mouths, all flea and tick collars have the tendency to leave residues of the chemicals that make them effective on your dog and on your cat.
Some dogs have experienced localized skin responses to the collar, which went away after it was taken off. The product insert for Seresto additionally warns, “Before using this medicine on debilitated, elderly, breeding, pregnant, or nursing animals, see your veterinarian. This is valid for all preventatives against fleas and ticks.
Topical Flea and Tick Treatments for Dogs
There are several effective topical (or spot-on) flea treatments for dogs, and many of them provide defense against a variety of pests in addition to fleas.
For instance, Advantage Multi is a prescription medication that kills heartworms, hookworms, whipworms, roundworms, sarcoptic mange mites, and fleas using the active chemicals imidacloprid and moxidectin. But it doesn’t kill ticks, and to prevent possibly harmful side effects, dogs shouldn’t be permitted to lick the application location for at least 30 minutes.
Fipronil and (S)-methoprene, two OTC medications, are used in Frontline Plus to combat fleas and ticks at all stages of development. Additionally, it gets rid of chewing lice and aids in managing sarcoptic mange outbreaks. Even while it shouldn’t be consumed, a few covert licks from your dog won’t likely result in any issues.
A topical therapy might not be the best option if you can’t keep your pet away from young children or other animals that could come into direct touch with the drug before it has dried or been absorbed into your pet’s skin, as is the situation with flea and tick collars.
Before selecting a topical flea and tick medicine for your dog if you have cats in the house, consult a veterinarian. Some use extremely harmful to cats substances like pyrethrin or permethrin.
The ideal time to bathe a dog following application is a few days later. The usual requirement for topical therapies is monthly application.
Oral Flea and Tick Medications for Dogs
Many prescription oral flea and tick treatments are thought to be relatively safe for dogs. These preventatives are available as pills and chewables. Your veterinarian can advise you on the best one based on the age of your dog.
Spinosad and milbemycin oxime are used in Trifexis to protect dogs from fleas, heartworms, and intestinal parasites, however it is ineffective against ticks. This medication must be prescribed by your veterinarian.
For 8–12 weeks per dose, Bravecto chews (also available as a topical) provide protection from fleas and ticks. Fluralaner, the substance’s active component, kills adult fleas and ticks. Your veterinarian must also write a prescription for Bravecto.
For homes with young children or other small pets who might be at risk of coming into touch with the chemical residue from flea collars or topical therapies, oral flea and tick meds are an excellent option.
Vomiting is the negative effect of prescription oral flea medicines that is most frequently reported.
While there is always a chance for negative side effects with any drug, the danger of not treating parasites is far greater. Based on your dog’s age, lifestyle, health status, and other specific factors, your veterinarian can assist you in selecting the safest and most efficient flea and tick treatment.
Is there a way to keep ticks off dogs?
Remember to speak with your vet before administering any of these items to your pet. They could advise doing a spot test on your dog’s skin before applying it all over.
- Store-Bought Formulas: The market is flooded with pre-made, natural dog tick repellents that all include different chemicals. Essential oils are present in many of these. Read the directions carefully before applying any products to your pet because some may need to be diluted.
- Homemade Essential Oil Tick Repellent for Dogs: When choosing a tick repellent for their canine companions during the warmer months, pet owners frequently turn to essential oils. Lavender oil is a common essential oil used to keep ticks away from dogs. It has a pleasant aroma that attracts people and dogs but repulses insects like fleas and ticks. Amazingly, lavender oil also delays the emergence of tick eggs. You may have heard that lemongrass works well to keep ticks off of dogs, but applying it topically is typically not advised because it may cause stomach discomfort if your dog licks it.
- Natural Tick Spray: Preventing ticks from entering your yard in the first place is one of the best ways to protect your dogs and other family members from getting ticks. Mosquito Joe can support you there! We’ll make sure that no bothersome ticks can bother your pets by applying our natural tick treatment to key areas of your yard.
- Reduction of Tick Habitat: Get rid of any waste that ticks might hide in in your yard and lawn to prevent them from having a place to breed. If you’re already having us spray the outside for ticks, Mosquito Joe will offer some advice on how to go about this. Your neighborhood landscaper can also assist you with landscaping, grass and bed upkeep, and other tasks.
These are the four main strategies for keeping ticks away from your pets. Here are further specifics regarding the homemade choice.
