# What to do about ticks



## ecedillo22 (Jul 1, 2014)

Hey Everyone! So West has had a tick or two in the past, I go to Petsmart and buy some treatment off the shelf and that normally works. This is like an every other year process. However, in the last couple of months, he has had multiple ticks and I’ve treated him multiple times and nothing! I’ve called his vet and no recommendations. Has anyone been is this situation and have any recommendations? Also, what about stuff to spray around the house? Thank you!!!!


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I would not but flea/tick no name or generic preventive at PetSmart. Advantix 2 multi helps prevent fleas, ticks, mosquitoes. Frontline is another that prevents fleas and ticks. Depending where you live. Frontline no longer works for fleas in my area. It is something you get at the veterinarian office. A few privately owned specialty pet stores may sometimes sell them behind the counter. I don’t spray the yard. There is wondercide suppose to be good for your yard and do helps with Fleas and ticks naturally. 
https://www.wondercide.com/?utm_sou...BRAND-Search&gclid=CO_JyNHr184CFcVbhgodmr4OqA


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Nexgard has been working for us so far.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Our rescue uses NexGard too -- it's RX only, from the vet (but if your vet doesn't stock it, they can write you a prescription so that you can buy it from an online pet phramacy, or even at Costco's pharmacy). Each dose lasts for a month. As soon as the ticks attach, they die. 

If you want something OTC (not from the vet), you might try a Seresto or Scalibor brand of collar. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE CHEAPER ONES! These are the "next generation" of flea/tick collars, that most people find pretty effective. They are not the same thing as the cheap ones sold at places like WM! Seresto is labeled for 8 months of protection and sells for about $58 (though you can often find them on sale or use coupon codes to buy them):
https://search.entirelypets.com/search?w=seresto

The main ingredient in Frontline (Fipronil) does not appear to be effective in all places -- it's the "old generation" of products that seem to have resistance developing in some areas. The manufacturer claims that's not a real thing, but the local vets I know here will not use it because they've seen it fail to work even on fleas.


I'm honestly surprised that your vet didn't have a tick solution to offer you. Parasite prevention is pretty basic veterinary medicine. The only time I would know of a vet not offering a recommendation is if your dog hasn't seen them in a while, and you're due (or overdue) for a visit. Sometimes they may want to run a SNAP 4D test for tick diseases if you've been finding them attached, depending on the incidence of those diseases in your region.


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## Shane'sDad (Jul 22, 2010)

We've used Frontline/ Plus and /or Advantix/2 both have worked really well for us over the years so far.....i will say the last time we bought either product our vet said he had some clients that had issues with them not working---I stuck with them because they work for us. Our dogs are in a fenced area when outside and I don't put down anything inside the fence but outside the fence gets dusted yearly for Japanese Beetles/grubs it also gets rid of fleas and ticks.


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## Oasiskw (Dec 13, 2018)

Shane'sDad said:


> We've used Frontline/ Plus and /or Advantix/2 both have worked really well for us over the years so far.....i will say the last time we bought either product our vet said he had some clients that had issues with them not working---I stuck with them because they work for us. Our dogs are in a fenced area when outside and I don't put down anything inside the fence but outside the fence gets dusted yearly for Japanese Beetles/grubs it also gets rid of fleas and ticks.



Frontline plus worked for me 2 yrs ago when I spotted some fleas, but it completely failed this year when I tried it. Had to go with nexguard on the dogs and charistin on the cats. It worked good, but holy smokes the charistin stinks. We are in western WA. We havent had any tick problems but nexguard is supposed to work on them.


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## CAKSJ78 (Jan 4, 2019)

We are in northern California and use Nexguard as well, on our vet's recommendation.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

Wow, Magwart pretty much said it all! Great post. 

another Nexguard user here...vet wrote it down at first vet visit and gave us a 3 month supply. Chewable pill, I mix one in his dinner on the first of each month. buying online saves a few bucks ( your vet has to approve).

A woman in pet shop raved to me about the seresto collar, she loves them. So I am eyeing them but think they are kind of ugly...but definitely that would cost a bit less.

Those tickborne Illnesses can be nasty in both dogs and humans...don’t want to fool around with those! 

Depending on where you live, check the flea/tick season? For us, it is year-round :-( 
In our region, I might possibly dare to skip January? but it is not recommended.


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## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

We also use Nexgard and it works great.

The breeder for the new puppy we're getting swears by garlic powder in her dog's food. We're going to try that with Jack...and maybe increase our garlic intake as well.


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## Colorado (Nov 25, 2007)

Kyrielle said:


> The breeder for the new puppy we're getting swears by garlic powder in her dog's food. We're going to try that with Jack...and maybe increase our garlic intake as well.


Yikes! Don't do that...



> Garlic belongs to the Allium family (which also includes onion, chives, and leeks) and is poisonous to dogs and cats. Garlic is considered to be about 5-times as potent as onion and leeks. Certain breeds and species are more sensitive, including cats and Japanese breeds of dogs (e.g., Akita, Shiba Inu). Toxic doses of garlic can cause damage to the red blood cells (making them more likely to rupture) leading to anemia. GI upset can also occur (e.g., nausea, drooling, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea). Other clinical signs of anemia can also occur including lethargy, pale gums, increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, weakness, exercise intolerance, and collapse. Signs of garlic poisoning can be delayed and not apparent for several days. While tiny amounts of these foods in some pets, especially dogs, may be safe, large amounts can be very toxic.


Source: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/garlic/


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## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

From: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-garlic/



> How much garlic is toxic to dogs?
> Studies have found it takes approximately 15 to 30 grams of garlic per kilograms of body weight to produce harmful changes in a dog’s blood. To put that into perspective, the average clove of supermarket garlic weighs between 3 and 7 grams, so your dog would have to eat a lot to get really sick. However, some dogs are more sensitive to garlic toxicity than others, and consumption of a toxic dose spread out over a few days could also cause problems.


Per the first sentence's estimate:

A 90-pound dog would have to consume 1.35 pounds (204.1 cloves) of garlic in one sitting to be poisoned. This is assuming the lowest amount required for poisoning and the lightest weighing cloves.

Math:

Dog weight: 90lb = 40.82kg
Garlic rate: 15g / 1kg
Grams of garlic for dog weight: 15g * 40.82kg = 612.30g
Grams to ounces: 612.30g = 21.60oz
Ounces to pounds: 21.60oz = 1.35lb
Number of garlic cloves (assuming lightest): 612.30g / 3g = 204.1 cloves

This is why I'm always skeptical of claims that something is poisonous for humans or animals without any "dosages" listed.


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## Colorado (Nov 25, 2007)

Kyrielle said:


> This is why I'm always skeptical of claims that something is poisonous for humans or animals without any "dosages" listed.


For sure. I suppose I should have added caveats to my post.

Anyway, I guess what concerned me was adding garlic powder to a dog's kibble every day starting when they are a puppy. Puppies aren't 90 lbs dogs (yet). You are probably right that in small doses it is fine. I just wouldn't choose to do it thousands of times over the lifetime of a dog.


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## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

Colorado said:


> For sure. I suppose I should have added caveats to my post.
> 
> Anyway, I guess what concerned me was adding garlic powder to a dog's kibble every day starting when they are a puppy. Puppies aren't 90 lbs dogs (yet). You are probably right that in small doses it is fine. I just wouldn't choose to do it thousands of times over the lifetime of a dog.


Yeah, I agree. Puppies also don't get flea and tick medicine until they're 6 months old either, so I'm certain the reasoning is quite similar.

I'm not sure how often garlic powder is needed to establish the natural repellent in the skin. I don't think you'd need it for every single meal, but I don't know. I have to research.

For now, though, I'm more than happy to increase the garlic in my human diet if it means the ticks will leave me alone and stop creeping up my legs.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Kyrielle said:


> Yeah, I agree. Puppies also don't get flea and tick medicine until they're 6 months old either, so I'm certain the reasoning is quite similar.
> 
> I'm not sure how often garlic powder is needed to establish the natural repellent in the skin. I don't think you'd need it for every single meal, but I don't know. I have to research.
> 
> For now, though, I'm more than happy to increase the garlic in my human diet if it means the ticks will leave me alone and stop creeping up my legs.


I've heard that pickles repel mosquitoes, too. Frankly I love garlic but it hasn't stopped ticks from grabbing hold of my pant legs. I find spraying Sauers's on my pants works so much better. I can"t use avoiding bugs as an excuse for having that extra helping of garlic bread and shrimp scampi.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

When I lived in central Arkansas what I did about ticks was:


keep my lawn mowed (never had ticks at the house)


after a trip to the barn (dogs accompanied me) we picked ticks and dropped them in a vile of rubbing alcohol (because water doesn't kill them rubbing alcohol does) before the dogs loaded up to come home. at home, we searched for more ticks and did the same procedure. No noxious chemical on the dogs, no noxious chemical in the yard. It was time consuming. (I also picked ticks off the horse) Thanks for the memories....


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