Dogs understand their owners in many different ways, including verbally even though they’re not able to actually comprehend the language that is being spoken to them. But even if they could understand what you’re saying, if you told them to avoid getting fleas and ticks, it wouldn’t do much good. It’s next to impossible to never get fleas or ticks if you’re a dog; in much the same way, it’s next to impossible not to get pooped on by a seagull if you’re a kid with an early AM paper route. It may not happen very often, it may not happen any more than one time, but it IS going to happen. You would not want to deprive your dog of the joy of being outdoors, so the question becomes what is the safest flea and tick treatment for dogs?
The reason that is qualified for ‘safest’ is that plenty of pet owners out there are very cautiousabout abo giving their pets Rx medication. There have been plenty of stories of pharmaceutical manufacturers being underhanded about their medications’ dangers, and it is understandable that pet owners want to have the same assurances that there’s no way they will be harming their dog, cat, or whatever type of animal it is that is their ‘fur baby.’ And to add to that, a flea infestation or tick bites on a pet isn’t something pet owners can overlook.
This is especially true for a dog being bitten by a tick. Ticks can stay concealed under the dog’s fur, even the most observant owners won’t know they’re there. But tick bites increase the risk of Lyme disease in dogs, which is very serious. Fleas can transmit diseases, but the majority of the time, the worst of the risks there is that if left unchecked, your dog might get mange. But seeing your pet suffering from the constant itching and scratching is going to spur you to take action.
There are plenty of flea and tick medications to choose from, so what is the safest flea and tick treatment for dogs? That’s what we will discuss here with this entry.
Your dog’s breed, age, lifestyle and prior health history are all factors in what flea and tick killer medication is going to be the best choice for your dog. Regarding breeding, dogs that have thicker coats may not be a good fit for using any type of topical solution as it may not get down to their skin as easily, and the residue may be ingested by other pets in your home inadvertently. This is more of a potential situation if you have other dogs who enjoy playing with each other.
For households with these types of pets, the answer to what is the safest flea and tick treatment for dogs may be Comfortis, because it is a chewable flea killer medication that is proven effective for flea and tick prevention and also known to be safe.
The same contact risk that we talked about above can apply to dog flea and tick collars. Not only do these products not work very well for preventing fleas and ticks, but they are not the safest flea and tick treatment for dogs because of the way other pets or even children playing with the dog may mean that the medication on the collar comes into contact with their hands and fingers. Young children frequently touching their face and mouth, so you can see how this is a risk factor too.
Next up in our discussion around what is the safest flea and tick treatment for dogs is to let owners know that some combination flea, tick and worm killer medications may not be safe for your dog if they have one of a few types of neurological conditions. This is especially true for heartworm prevention medications that contain Ivermectin, an effective worm parasiticide but one that can trigger bad nervous system reactions in some dogs. Of course, the flip side is that dogs that are at risk of heart disease will have no choice but to be on some type of medication that prevents heartworms, but just be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian.
The last thing we’ll mention for what is the safest flea and tick treatment for dogs is to say that while a flea shampoo that kills fleas may be a way to improve the effectiveness of flea and tick medication, you may want to use caution as it can be difficult to prevent a dog from getting the later in its mouth. In addition, the chemical reagents in the mixture may cause stomach upset.