Tick Season

This is Bandit, my other dog. Well, yes, "other" dog, coz Chewby is a bit of a jealous bitch, literally. Anyway, she's fallen prey to ticks before, so she's got some advice for you. But firstly, she's just a dog, not a vet, so please corroborate what she says with your own vet, or with the SPCA or PAWS, who also do advise the public.

For your dog

(1) Keep your pets cool and clean. Ticks love dirty animals.

(2) You can wash your pet using prescribed shamboos and tick washes available at your vet's or at pet stores. Do follow the advice of your vet or the pet shop proprietor, and do read the instructions and follow them accordingly. Please try to avoid "traditional" remedies, I have heard of an old lady washing her dog in kerosene to get rid of the ticks. Needless to say, the ticks went away. As well as the dog.

(3) If you pet has a few ticks, you can try spraying it every now and then (like a fortnight, say) with anti-tick sprays, like Frontline. Actually, Frontline has got a number of very good anti-parasite products, so check them out.

(4) When you find a tick, subdue it. This can be done by using alcohol (there are also other substances, but I can't remember what offhand). The reason why you need to subdue the tick is because if you pull off the tick from your pet, it can sometimes leave its head behind, which can release enough poisons into your pet to cause tick fever. Dogs have been known to die of this fever, if not attended to immediately, so pay heed!

(5) When the tick is off your pet, dispose of it properly. Ticks are hardy creatures, so throwing them into a drain (yes, people do do that) is not the right answer. The usual ones are flushing them down the toilet. I usually have a bowl of chlorine, which kills the ticks, and dissolves the blood. The latter is important, because if you have a bowlful of blood, its bound to attract flies, which leads to maggots etc. Do keep in mind that the chlorine is meant to suffocate and kill the tick, not your pet, so please do not wash your pets with chlorine!

For your home

(6) When you find a tick, do number (5) above.

(7) If the area is too heavily infested:

• if it's a concrete area/wall etc. - spray with Ridsect, Baygon etc. The ones meant for cockroaches work better.
• if it's your garden, call in pest control, get them to spray for termites. Keep your pets (and children and yourself) away during the fumigation.

Please do check with your vet, PAWS or the SPCA first. When in doubt, don't do it. Whatever it is. Your pet's life and wellbeing is in your hands.

Here's a list of vets, FYI.