First tick of the season!
We have received the first report of a tick on would you believe, a 9-week-old puppy that has gone home to her family. She had picked the tick up from her own garden!
In all the years we have been breeding and raising puppies we have never had a report of such a young puppy getting a tick. Tick borne diseases are on the rise in the UK. 1-5% of tick bites can lead to Lyme disease. Ticks are more active in the warmer months (Apr-Sept) there are 20 species of ticks in the UK. Ticks can carry a range of microorganisms and some of these can cause disease in humans.
We are not a believer in the overuse of flea and tick medicines. They work by depositing pesticides into your dog’s blood supply so when a tick or flea bites them, a small amount of pesticide in the treatment kills the flea or tick! But that small amount of pesticide can build up in your dog’s body over time and cause some side effects. This is not ideal as you are only giving this in case your dog gets a flea or tick.
We use Seresto flea and tick collars and these are much less harmful for your dog and puppy in our experience and you don’t need to buy them from your vet as they are cheaper online. You must remember to buy all treatments for your dog from a trusted source as there are fakes of almost anything now.
Seresto collars work by repelling the fleas and ticks so they don’t jump on your dog to begin with, the collar slowly and continuously release active ingredients onto your pets skin (not into their bloodstream) so if they do bite the flea or tick will be killed.
It is handy to always have a tick remover and you can buy these off Amazon, please watch our video on how to remove a tick quickly and safely.
We also recommend using a natural flea and tick repellent spray for long walks in a forest or anywhere that has long grass during the spring and summer months. I must admit that when I spray on the dogs I spray on myself too as it’s completely natural and I don’t want to get bitten either!
Ticks dislike the smell of orange, lemon, mint and rose geranium but be careful as too much can cause a toxic reaction which is why we have recommended this natural remedy rather than making your own.
More blogs and helpful tips coming soon
Take Care
Judy and Shannon - The Doodle Club