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Your pet is an important part of your family. Your priority is to care for your pets in the best way that you can. This care includes knowing how to prevent ticks from getting on to your pets. Ticks are not only a nuisance but can also adversely affect the health of your pets and your family. Understanding how to prevent ticks can help you protect your pets and your family. There are many different products you can use to kill and prevent ticks. Here are a few for you to try.

Controlling Ticks

Controlling ticks in your environment is important. This generally involves treating the kennel and yard areas. Use an environmentally safe spray that contains fenvalerate. Be sure to follow the product directions carefully. It is likely that you will need to spray every 7 to 14 days especially during peak tick months. Keep in mind that the cold and frosty fall weather does not kill ticks. In fact, fall is when the deer tick numbers are usually at their peak. Therefore; treat your yard during the fall and early winter. Whatever product you use, always remember not to spray where the runoff could go into lakes or rivers. Remove leaves and clear brush and tall grass from around the house and kennel areas. This will also help reduce the number of ticks. In addition to environmental products, there are many tick control products for your pet. These include once-a-month topical products, powders, sprays, shampoos, dips and collars. Once a month products are usually applied to a small area on the back of the pet. These are probably the easiest to use, and generally they last the longest. Some can kill fleas as well as ticks, and others will treat just fleas. Be sure to check the label carefully. The ingredients in these products often include permethrin, pyrethrin, or fipronil. However, do not use a product containing permethrin near or on cats, as it can be deadly. You can also get flea and tick control sprays which are available as aerosols or pump bottles. If you are using a spray, it’s not necessary to soak the pet with the spray, but be sure to spray over the entire body of the animal. Use a small amount sprayed onto a cotton ball to apply around the eyes and ears. Be sure that you do not get any of these products in the eyes. Follow your veterinarian’s instructions and the manufacturer’s directions on how frequently to spray, and always spray in a well-ventilated area. Check the product ingredients, as many sprays also contain permethrin which cannot be used on cats. Also available are powders, dips, rinses and shampoos. Flea and tick collars can also be effective for the prevention of ticks on your pet but they must be applied properly. As with the other products mentioned, be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Seek advice from your veterinarian if you are unsure of any product before using it on your pet.  If your pet is on any medication for tick related bites, remember, Brant Arts in Burlington offers veterinary compounding, which customizes pet medication to match your pet’s needs and requirements.