Introduction

For any pet owner ticks in dogs or fleas in cats is a very common problem, we have been trying to find the best flea treatment for cats. Also, what is the best flea and tick medicine for dogs and cats? We have even tried to prevent ticks on dogs and cats by natural methods but first, we need to understand the issue and then find a solution of how to get rid of ticks fast.

Ticks are parasites that live externally on another living being. They attach themselves and live off the host which can cause serious problems for the host. They are most active between spring and autumn and can live up to 10 years without eating or drinking, that why it is not easy to get rid of them permanently. However, we can take measures to prevent this from getting out of hand and treat the animals before things take a turn for the worse.

Sources of Ticks

Ticks are very resilient and can survive in all weathers after the active season they hide in cracks or crevices in nearby areas, they also hide under the soil and hibernate until the next season. In the active season, they come out of hiding and find new hosts. They can be transferred from birds, cattle, and other pets during a walk.

Hiding Areas

Ticks usually attach themselves in areas where we normally don’t see or check now and then like inside ears, between paws and the soft area under the paws, in the armpits or under the tail so we must regularly inspect our pets for ticks and fleas.

Sometimes we see such extreme cases where the infestation has spread too much but it is usually due to the negligence of the owner as mostly they just give food to the animal and don’t bother to notice anything out of the ordinary and when they finally see it things have become very extreme.

It is a good practice to check your pet daily, simply by moving your hands on the all over the body for any signs of ticks and a visual inspection to check for fleas or lice especially after a walk as they might have caught something from outside. Because once they attach they will start to multiply very quickly and cause serious harm to your pet.

In smooth coat animals it is very easy to detect ticks & fleas usually just by having a look but with pets who have long hair like Persian cats and German shepherd dogs a physical examination is a way to go otherwise we could easily overlook the problem and once they start to breed it gets very tough to control and get rid of them. This can cause serious health issues for your pets like tick fever which could lead to loss of diet, weakness, and if not treated properly even death. With females, it can create problems with breeding as sometimes females who have had tick fever and not treated properly would not conceive.

When tick and lice are very small we might miss them in the physical examination but we should keep an eye on the symptoms for early detection like redness, severe itching, rashes, and swelling. It is the same process for detecting fleas and ticks in cats as well as dogs.

Prevention & Treatment

For prevention we can try and make sure to groom our pets on regular basis and use anti-tick shampoos in the active tick season, this will not only prevent ticks from attaching to your pets and if you have skipped in inspection shampoo will also treat for them.

Here are some of the medicated treatments for ticks & fleas in cats and dogs.

Spot on drops, tick collar for cats & dogs, serum, tick & flea spray for cats and dogs, anti-tick and flea shampoo for cats and dogs.

All these treatments are also safe for kittens and puppies but always read the instructions before using any product. Although medicated treatments are very effective, some people still prefer natural remedies.

We can use natural products but keep in mind they are not an alternative to medicated solutions they can be used as supplement treatment.

How to prevent ticks on dogs and cats naturally?

Apple cider vinegar may be able to help eliminate ticks and other parasites like fleas and lice, it is very simple to use, mix equal quantity of apple cider vinegar and water, shake well and dip a clean cloth and rub on the skin of your pet, keep away from face and eyes.

Another natural remedy is using citrus fruits like lemon, orange, great fruit, etc. Take 2 cups of water with 2 lemons cut in half boil and let it rest for 1 hour, pour the liquid in a spray bottle and use but be careful not to use near face and eyes. This will help prevent ticks and fleas from getting on your pets.

Some natural oils are also used as tick repellents for example neem oil. It is very easy to prepare, just take 2 drops of neem oil and mix in half liters of water, dip a clean cloth in the solution, and rub on the body of your pet.

A very common question is how to remove a tick from a dog or cat?

it is not ideal to remove a tick if you don’t have an idea about what you are doing so it is better to use medication which is much easier and safe because while removing the tick if we are not careful and pull it suddenly we might leave the fangs inside which will continue to release the toxins into the body of your pet and the damage would be done. Either ask an expert to help your or if you are doing it yourself the hold the tick with firm grim and pull will gently but equal pressure so that it lets go of the bite, you need to be extra careful with the blue tick or soft tick as they sometimes burst while pulling if too much pressure is applied and the bite would still be inside and toxins would continue to flow into your pet’s body.

It is best practice to inspect your pet regularly and prevent rather than cure but if the issue has started then you need to act fact.