You can’t completely prevent your dog from encountering ticks — populations are growing, causing the blood-suckers to show up in backyards and parks, not just deeply wooded areas.
asserted
suckers → prevent → backyards
However, you can take steps to protect your pet and reduce the likelihood that they’ll get a potentially dangerous illness like Lyme disease, which is more common than you might think.
uncertain
you → take → disease
In fact, about one out of every 30 dogs has tested positive this year, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council.
uncertain
dogs → test → Council
Read on to learn about the best tick preventatives for dogs according to veterinarians, and other steps you can take to stop the parasites from hitching a ride on your pet.
uncertain
you → read → pet
Want more from NBC Selected? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter.
The best tick preventatives for dogs
There’s a handful of ways to protect your dog from ticks, but routinely checking them for the parasites and putting them on a year-round preventative are the most important.
asserted
checking → want → preventative
It’s also crucial to get them vaccinated against Lyme disease, which is the most common tick-borne disease and the only one that there’s a vaccine for, says Dr. Lindsay Kendrick, the medical director at VEG ER for Pets in Boston.
asserted
Kendrick → ’ → Boston
Before answering all your tick-related questions below, I curated a list of products that you’ll need to check for and prevent the parasites.
asserted
you → answer → parasites
A note about the tick preventatives on this list: I added options that meet expert guidance; are highly-rated; repel and/or kill multiple types of parasites; and are EPA- or FDA-approved.
asserted
that → add → EPA-
Some tick preventatives are sold over-the-counter, but many are only available via a prescription, which you’ll need to get from your vet.
asserted
you → sell → vet
The easiest way to check for ticks is running your hand over your dog’s body and feeling for bumps, but to be even more precise, use a fine-toothed comb.
asserted
way → check → comb
As you drag it through your pet’s coat, it surfaces ticks, which tend to be quite small, so you can easily see them.
asserted
you → drag → them
Young ticks in particular are tiny, so you may not feel them on your dog’s body but find them with a comb, says Kendrick.
uncertain
Kendrick → feel → comb
She added that the comb is a must for dogs with thick coats — all that padding makes ticks easy to miss.
asserted
ticks → add → coats
Tweezerman’s comb is technically made for finding fleas, but it works for ticks, too.
asserted
it → make → ticks
It has stainless steel bristles with rounded tips that are gentle on skin, and a handle that’s big enough to get your hand around for a comfortable grip.
asserted
that → have → grip
My dog has a very thin, short coat, so I can’t use a comb when I check her for ticks.
asserted
I → have → ticks
Instead, I rely on the Tick Mitt, which is a glove made from a special type of textured fabric — the brand says it works like Velcro for parasites sitting on people and pets’ skin, as well as those clinging onto clothes, shoes and other items.
asserted
it → rely → clothes
You put the mitt on your hand and slowly sweep it across your dog’s body, inspecting it between passes to remove any ticks you caught.
asserted
you → put → ticks
The Tick Mitt works best for dogs with short coats, according to the brand, but if your dog has a thick and/or long coat, brush them first, then use the mitt to grab any ticks that surfaced.
uncertain
that → work → ticks
It can’t remove ticks embedded into the skin’s surface — for that, use tweezers.
asserted
It → remove → tweezers
You can use any tweezers to remove ticks from your dog’s skin, but you might want to keep a dedicated tool in your bag while you’re on the go, or put one by your door so you can get rid of parasites before entering your home.
uncertain
you → use → home
TickCheck’s Tick Removal Kit comes with two stainless steel tools in a little case: a fine-tip tweezer for removing small ticks and a grabber tool for removing larger ticks that are deeply embedded in the skin.
asserted
that → come → skin
The set also comes with a card that helps you identify what type of tick you likely found.
asserted
you → come → tick
Best chewable tick preventative
All the dog parents at NBC Selected, myself included, give our pets NexGard’s Chewable Flea and Tick Protection every month and have been doing so for years.
asserted
myself → include → years
They’re FDA-approved to kill multiple types of ticks, as well as fleas.
asserted
They → ’re → ticks
The chewables are beef-flavored, so my dog thinks they’re standard treats and eats them immediately.
asserted
they → flavor → them
NexGard requires a prescription from your veterinarian, which the online retailer you purchase from will collect at checkout.
asserted
you → require → checkout
Best topical tick preventative
Frontline Plus’ Flea and Tick Topical Treatment, which comes in pre-measured applicators, are FDA-approved to kill ticks as well as fleas and chewing lice.
asserted
which → come → ticks
To use it, you part the hair at your dog’s shoulder blades and squeeze out what’s inside one applicator.
asserted
what → use → applicator
You have to keep your dog dry for 24 hours post-application — after that, the topical treatment is waterproof for a month, according to the brand.
uncertain
treatment → have → brand
It comes in packs of three, six and eight.
asserted
It → come → three
Think of over-the-counter tick collars as an additional layer of protection against the parasites, not your dog’s primary preventative, says Kendrick.
asserted
Kendrick → think → parasites
She recommends giving your dog a prescription preventative year-round, like the chewable and topical ones I recommend above, and putting a tick collar, like Seresto’s, on them if you’re bringing them into wooded or grassy areas.
asserted
you → recommend → areas
That’s exactly what I do — knowing that my dog has two lines of defense against ticks when we’re outside gives me peace of mind, especially during the peak season.
asserted
we → ’ → season
Seresto’s tick collar, which also protects dogs against fleas, is adjustable and unclasps as needed.
asserted
which → protect → fleas
It comes in two sizes: one for dogs under 18 pounds and one for dogs over 18 pounds.
asserted
It → come → pounds
I only use the collar when I take my dog to grassy, woodsy outdoor areas, so when I’m not using it, I keep it in the sealed container it comes in because it lasts for up to eight months, according to the brand.
uncertain
it → use → brand
Checking your dog for ticks: when, how and what requires a vet visit
When to check your dog for ticks
During tick season, which is usually from April to September, check your dog for the parasites daily, says Dr. Susanne Heartsill, the U.S. director of companion animal veterinary services at Ceva Animal Health.
asserted
Heartsill → check → Health
Be extra thorough after outdoor activities like walks, trips to the park and hikes, especially if you’re visiting grassy, wooded areas.
asserted
you → visit → areas
While ticks are more prevalent during the warmer months, they can stay active for longer, and in some parts of the country, they’re a year-round concern.
asserted
they → stay → country
…and 92 more, not listed.
The Aporia
