When can your pet get the Fleas and Ticks?
Your pet can get the tick during any time of the year. Although tick attacks are more common in warmer months, your pets can also get them during monsoons and winters. There are several ticks and fleas you dogs can draw.
Now that you know that your fur babies can be the hiding spot for these crawly creatures, you must keep a check on your pet’s expressions to understand the signs and symptoms. It is then you will be able to destroy the ticks and fleas before they start spreading.
Signs for ticks in dogs
- You may see your dog experiencing excessive licking or scratching its body and paws
- Check for hot spots or red bumps on your dog’s soft skin.
- Notice irritation in your dog’s behavior
- Shaking heads and scratching ears
- Move your hand through your pet’s body to check for a bump-like creature. Check under the neck, on the spine, behind the ears, and base of the tail.
As a pet parent, you need to be particularly careful while dealing with ticks as they are not easy to eradicate all at once. Ticks also release eggs under the warm furs and multiply in no time. Just when you thought that you removed all ticks and fleas from your pet’s body, the very next time you will find another hiding under the fur coat.
Where to check for Fleas and Ticks in dogs?
Fleas typically hang out in the groin and bum area, hide between paw pads, stick on the eyelashes, inside ear flips, belly, and armpits.
If you start from your dog’s spine, run your hand all over the fur and against the direction of fur growth. You will feel bumps on your dog’s body. These are overgrown ticks that can crawl and hide anywhere. You will find these ticks on and under the necks and on the tail base. Fleas hide there too.
To check for small ticks. Notice your dog’s skin to find them running and hiding under the furs. Since these are tiny, they are finicky to clasp. Firmly hold your dog’s paw and check-in between the paw pads. It is a hiding nest for lots of ticks together, which usually lay eggs on the spot, and grows that later crawls onto your dog’s body.
Pull them carefully or you might hurt your dog’s delicate paws. You may also see a lot of blood accumulated between the paw due to an enormous amount of blood sucked by the ticks. Gently put cotton and ice to heal the sore.
Ticks and fleas in cats
If you notice your feline dealing with a lot of scratching and hair loss, check for fleas. To find a flea on your cat, use a flea comb. Run the comb through the neck to the base of the tail. You will see fleas coming out in the comb or small spots sticking on the belly.
With patience and care, you can be successful in preventing ticks and fleas in dogs. Make this an ideal time to have a good cuddle session with your fur babies and loads of snuggles along the way!
How to differentiate between ticks and fleas
The most common difference is that a flea is a six-legged wingless insect that can jump. Ticks, on the other hand, have six to eight legs that look like spiders. Fleas are more dangerous than ticks as they can pass on tapeworm and typhus.
You will know it is a flea if you spot them running fast through your pet’s fur to avoid capture. Fleas jump very quickly and fast, almost similar to flying short distances. Owing to their tiny size and jumping nature it is next to impossible to catch them.
If you spot a big-sized lookalike spider, understand it is a tick. Ticks are larger than fleas and are easy to spot as they don’t jump or move away. However, ticks are heavy bloodsuckers leaving behind bumps and a huge blood clot on your dog’s skin.
Ticks and fleas in dog’s natural remedies
Ticks and fleas cause severe stress to pets and pet parents. But the good news is that you can get rid of these parasite infestations by taking appropriate measures. As both parasites lay multiple eggs at one time, act on them immediately to discard them. Preventive measures can reduce the chances of re-infestation.
You will get a lot of and flea repellant products for dogs and cats in the market. But it has harmful chemicals your pet might lick. It is advisable to use natural remedies for holistic eradication from your pet’s body naturally and also from your home.
Check out a few of these steps below:
- Neem leaves: Neem leaves are a great natural tick repellant for dogs. Bath your dogs with natural neem-infused water at home. Boil a tub full of water with neem leaves and add a drop of neem oil to it. Bath your pet with neem water as a natural home remedy to get rid of ticks. Due to its anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties, neem leaves work wonders as a natural tick repellant for dogs. You can use neem leaves for your cats as well.
You can also take a drop of neem oil and dilute it with jojoba oil for a good message on your dog’s skin. This will prevent ticks to feed on your dog’s sensitive skin.
Since ticks can crawl, you can also spot them in your home, crawling against the walls or under beds. It is best to wash your home with neem water to get rid of ticks from your home completely.
- Mint leaves: Mint leaves are another natural flea and tick prevention for dogs at home. Mint acts as a natural defense guard against ticks. Prepare a mint spray by soaking mint leaves overnight. The day after, squeeze two juices of lemon, and ten teaspoon apple cider vinegar as a natural tick defense. You can also add two drops of neem oil for faster results. Spray it on your pet’s bedding and corners of your house.
- Bay leaves: Ticks cannot stand the smell of bay leaves. Crush or ground the leaves and apply them all over your pet’s body. You can also keep those leaves on the bedding to prevent ticks from multiplying.
- Vinegar: Soak a cotton ball in vinegar and rub it all over your pet’s skin. Ticks will stop hiding under the fur as they dislike the smell of vinegar due to its acetic acid content.
- Clove: Clove is an essential anti-repellant to ward off ticks. You can either grind cloves with neem leaves or use clove essential oil to massage it all over your dog’s body. This will prevent the further spread of ticks on your dog’s body.
Fleas and ticks treatment for dogs
A comprehensive approach to tackling tick and flea infestations is the only way for flea and tick treatment for dogs and cats. You can check for natural tick repellant spray, lotion, powder, or shampoos from herbal brands. This will contain lesser chemicals and can be comparatively safe to use.
Besides, follow these simple steps for a comprehensive flea and tick treatment for your pets.
- Brush your pet: Use a Ticks and Fleas removal comb to brush your pet thoroughly. You will either spot the tick, or it will stick with the comb and come out naturally.
- Give a pre-bath message to your pet with neem oil, tulsi oil, or clove oil. Thereafter, use any herbal tick-repellant shampoo and message well throughout the body. Wash the body with neem water boiled at home.
- Brush the body immediately after so that the inactive or dead ticks come off with the brush while your pet is still wet.
- Dry your pet and apply tick repellant powder to prevent ticks from feasting.
- Feed your pets with nutritious foods like eggs to prevent anemia. Also, give vitamin supplements for strong immunity and healthy skin.
Tips to completely eradicate tips from pet and home:
- Once you pick the tick or a flea, don’t just throw it out of the window. Ticks will come back following your pet’s smell. Drop it in a bottle filled with kerosene. Kerosene oil will kill the tick and the flea permanently.
- Mop your house with kerosene oil. Drop few drops of kerosene oil into a tub full of water. Drop two tablespoons of Dettol, and mop the floor with this water. While kerosene will act as a tick killer, Dettol will work as a natural disinfectant as well as ward off the pungent smell of kerosene.
- Spray with neem water across all corners of your home and even furniture. This will prevent ticks from coming back.
Can ticks live on humans?
Dog ticks usually do not live on humans. While cuddling your pet and dealing with ticks, a tick can crawl up your body and stick to your skin and scalp. You will feel an extremely itchy sensation with a bump if the tick gets exposed to your body. For natural prevention, it is advisable to bathe with neem water and keep yourself and your surroundings clean and hygienic to eradicate them.