Effective protection for dogs against ticks. How to treat a dog for ticks

Let me remind you that most of my recommendations are based on my experience owning and training dogs.
They can (and should) be criticized and questioned. But, of course, these are recommendations tested by life, that is, by my long experience of keeping dogs.
I believe, and my experience confirms the correctness of this opinion, that it is necessary to take a dog to a veterinarian only in the most in case of emergency when her life is on the line.

In all other cases, one must rely on Mother Nature, who, better than any veterinarian, will protect, save and even make her health stronger in 90% of cases of minor or temporary illness. This confidence, I repeat, comes from my life experience and the understanding of a biologist-researcher that the fact that we don't know more about the functioning of the dog's body than we do, and any pharmaceutical drugs have side (usually harmful) effects for our pet. It’s just that they will appear much later, when we have already forgotten what exactly we gave him, saving him from the “illness”.
“Only one step separates the best veterinarian from a total fool. Such things happen to all of us, James,” said the veterinarian and boss to James Herriot, when the latter was unable to “raise” a sick cow and which, after a few days, suddenly recovered without the intervention of a doctor (James Herriot’s story “The Trickster Cow”) .
And don't forget the wisdom of the following words quoted by Nicholas Taleb in his amazing smart book“Antifragile. How to benefit from chaos":

“If you want a person to die quickly, assign him a personal doctor.”

Let me remind you again. I do not urge you to blindly follow me, since you are free to make your choice, but I urge you to prudence and common sense, which are always worth more than all the “scientific theories” combined! Scientific theories are born and die - nothing is set in stone!
And now, not forgetting everything I said above, let’s move on to the stated topic - How to protect a dog from fleas and ticks?
Wait, first the joke: “After the party, two fleas are discussing how they will get home. One says to the other - listen, friend, what do you think, should we catch the dog or should we walk home?”

Now the first recommendation that comes to mind. If you don’t want your dog to become a “vehicle” for ticks and fleas, don’t walk through fields and forests with your dog in the spring! Walk your pet (unless vigilant environmentalists are chasing you) in city parks and along roadsides - it is unlikely that your pet will “catch” an unwanted rider here.
The second recommendation is to always carefully examine your dog after a walk.
Once on the dog, the tick begins to move along the fur to those parts of the body where the skin is thinner and has a good blood supply.
Most often digging into the dog’s body in the area of ​​the ears and eyelids.
If you do not immediately carefully examine the dog, you may not notice the microscopic bloodsucker.
The next day, if you see a blue “pill” hanging on the dog’s eyelid, similar to a blueberry, do not panic.
Prepare a cotton swab soaked in alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, take tweezers and carefully, slowly pull out the “villain”, then treat the bite site with these solutions (protecting the dog’s eyes from liquid getting into them).
I know that now “orderlies” recommend pulling out the tick with its “proboscis”, and then taking the insect to the doctors (they only accept intact individuals).
In my defense, I will say that I have never managed to do this, and I don’t have time to take the “beast” to the doctors (I suspect that they also don’t have time to tinker with it).
Therefore, we kill two birds with one stone:

1. We pull out the tick and promptly help our dog (the sore will disappear along with the bloodsucker’s “weapon” in a few days, and the small swelling will go away on its own)
2. We don’t waste our precious time on a useless trip to the paramedics
3. We don’t distract doctors’ attention with any nonsense

Believe me, your dog’s life is really threatened (and if not every minute, then hourly) by cars on the roads and dog haters who throw poisoned baits, and not the “notorious” ticks.
My training station in Kirov was located fourteen kilometers from the city, next to the adjacent taiga area, in which I regularly walked with dogs.
After each such walk, I removed up to 20 ticks from each dog. Some of them were discovered only when they, having drunk blood, were ready to jump off the dog and go home. And each time I followed the method described above.
So this time, having discovered two blue “plums” on the eyelid of my Jagdterrier, I carried out a standard operation to eliminate bloodsuckers. The eyelid was a little swollen, but after a couple of days, the sores dried up and the swelling subsided. Then the sores disappeared (along with the mite proboscis).
Fleas are a much bigger problem for my dog. The fact is that in our neighborhood there live many compassionate old women who, out of mercy, feed stray cats.
The result of this is natural. An abundance of food stimulates sexual activity in cats. They have multiplied so much that grandmothers now feed them in turns, and the feeding process more closely resembles a feast of lions in the Kenyan savannah near the carcass of a wildebeest.
The increased density of the cat tribe naturally led to a massive outbreak of fleas.
Therefore, despite the fact that all medicines for blood-sucking insects are certainly harmful to the health of dogs, V in this case, I have to resort to these means.
And since there are many ways to protect our animals from blood-sucking insects: sprays, liquids for application to the skin, collars, here are my recommendations:

A little courage and experimentation will help you find the best blood-sucking insect repellent for your dog.
Here are the books I referenced in the text and video.

1. James Herriot “From the Memoirs of a Country Veterinarian” M., “The World” 1993 (story by Mookie Tricky-Woo, p. 83)
2. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile. How to benefit from chaos" M., "Kolibri", 2014
3. D. G. Carlson, J. Giffin “Home veterinary reference book for dog owners” M., “Tsentrpoligraf”, 1999

Health to you and your pets!

With the onset of the warm season, do not forget to protect your pet from tick attacks

It is important to remember that no matter where you live - in a city or a rural area - you should regularly treat your dog with special acaricidal (anti-tick) preparations, and after a walk, be sure to carefully examine the entire dog in order to detect ticks in time. Unfortunately, the tick has become quite a city dweller, and encounters with it can occur in the yard, in the park, or in the city center. It should be taken into account that ticks and other insects can attack the treated animal and even attach to it. The tick can remain on the animal’s body for up to 10 days, but on the treated animal it is less active and dies quickly. Favorite sites for tick attachment are the head, area behind the ears, neck, elbow area and groin.

Today there is big choice various acaricidal agents in the form of sprays, collars and drops on the withers- they can be bought at any pet store or veterinary pharmacy. The most popular brands are: Frontline French company Merial, Advantix Hartz(Hartz Mountain Corporation, USA), Beafar(Beaphar, Netherlands), KilTix(Bayer HealthCare, Germany), Bolfo(Bayer HealthCare, Germany), Pract-tick(Klocke Verpackungs-Service, Germany), ProMeris Duo(Wyeth-Lederle, Italy), domestic Leopard, Mr Bruno, Rolf Club, Dana.

How do acaricidal drugs work and which one should you choose to protect your dog?

And the form of release of the drug, and the active substance, and the authority of the company producing it, and the price - everything matters.

Drops differ from sprays in the concentration of the active substance dissolved per unit volume, and in insect-acaricidal collars the active substance and solvent are applied to polymer tape. After applying drops, spray or while wearing a collar, the acaricide in contact with the skin is absorbed into the subcutaneous tissue and accumulates in the sebaceous follicles. From there, the acaricide, along with the secretion, will be released in small portions onto the surface of the skin for a long time. Therefore, after treatment with anti-tick agents, animals are not recommended to be exposed to rain, swim, or wash with shampoo for 1-2 days, so as not to wash off the drug applied to the skin.

Most effective means protection are considered insecto-acaricidal sprays, applied according to the scheme: basic treatment by applying a spray to the skin once every few weeks in the amount recommended by the manufacturer, plus daily spraying small quantity on animal fur. For example, one of the most popular spray products, Frontline, is recommended to be used as follows: once every three to four weeks, at the rate of 4 presses of the dispensing head per kilogram of weight, sprayed onto the skin of the animal - as a basic treatment (the distributing head of the spray has two positions - for blasting and spraying), plus daily spraying onto the coat (2-6 presses of the distribution head). Unlike other means of protection, the spray acts immediately, but only if the instructions for its use are strictly followed.

Other effective remedy protection – drops on the withers(spot-on). The dog needs to be treated monthly; the drops begin to work after a few days. A combination of drops on the withers (as a basic treatment) and sprays (for daily treatment) is acceptable, for example, the drugs Frontline, Hartz, Bars, which are available in the form of drops on the withers and in the form of a spray. It is also possible to combine drops on the withers with wearing collar. Typically, a collar can last from 1 to 7 months, but provides less reliable protection against ticks.

You can use in this way products containing both the same active ingredient and different ones (unless there are special instructions about this in the instructions for the drug). The current opinion about increased total toxicity and the possibility of overdose is unfounded. The danger is also greatly exaggerated side effects acaricides - all of these drugs are classified as low- or moderately hazardous substances and, if the instructions are followed, are well tolerated by dogs.

Before using preventive acaricidal agents, be sure to read the instructions carefully. Various drugs have their own application characteristics and limitations: a number of collars and drops on the withers should not be used on pregnant and lactating bitches, puppies under 7-8 weeks of age. Products containing permethrin as an active ingredient (Advantix, Hartz, Bars, etc.) are dangerous for cats, so you should not use collars of these brands for dogs kept with cats, and when treating with drops or sprays, cats must be isolated until completely dry dog hair.

It’s worth mentioning right away that None of the above products provides 100% protection, even with daily use. Therefore, a thorough examination of the animal is necessary after each walk. There are no other preventative measures against babesiosis infection.

Will vaccines help?

The immunity produced by the vaccine is not strong enough to completely protect the dog from the disease, however, according to vaccine manufacturers, in case of infection it will help alleviate the severity of the disease and avoid serious complications.

If you do decide to use the vaccine, be sure to follow vaccination schedule:
- starting vaccination
- re-vaccination after 3-6 weeks
- booster vaccination every 6 months

The effect of the vaccine begins 3 weeks after the basic double vaccination (until this point the dog is not considered protected) and lasts for 6 months.

Vaccination in no way replaces regular seasonal treatment of the dog with acaricidal agents and examination of the animal after walks!

What to do if despite everything Taken measures Was your dog still bitten by a tick?

You should not remove a tick with your bare hands; use tweezers, gloves, etc. - the main thing is to avoid contact with the tick on your skin and mucous membranes, because there is a possibility of becoming infected with other diseases that are already dangerous for humans. If you are unable to remove the tick yourself, contact your veterinarian.

It is convenient to remove ticks with curved tweezers or a surgical clamp; in principle, any other tweezers will do. In this case, the tick must be grabbed as close to the proboscis as possible, then carefully pulled up, while slowly rotating around its axis in any direction. Usually, after 1-3 turns, the entire tick is removed along with the proboscis. If you try to pull the tick out, there is a high probability of it breaking. There is nothing terrible about this, but the formation of a small abscess is possible. After removing the tick, the wound should be treated with an antiseptic, and the tick itself should be destroyed (it is best to burn it in a closed container).

When removing a tick, DO NOT:
- moisten the bite site with caustic liquids - ammonia, gasoline, acetone, etc.
- burn a tick with a cigarette
- jerk the tick sharply - it will break off
- apply various compresses to the bite site
- crush the tick with your fingers.

Do not rush to use a specific anti-babesia drug, especially based on diminazine(type berenyl, veribene or azidine), these products are extremely toxic (in fact, they are poisons). Therefore, if a tick that has bitten an animal turns out to be uninfected (and on average 3 to 14% of insects are infected with Babesia), then with the so-called preventive therapy you will deal a heavy blow to the entire body, to the liver and immune system Firstly.

If the dog is sick...

If the worst does happen, and a couple of days after the tick bite you notice something wrong in the dog’s behavior - immediately go to the clinic. Babesiosis is a rapidly developing disease: from the appearance of the first clinical signs(often unspecific) it can only take a few days before severe toxic damage to the body or even death.

Any of these symptoms are a reason to immediately contact the clinic:
lethargy, refusal to feed
· increase in body temperature to 39.5-41C,
yellowish tint of mucous membranes,
· change in urine color (dark, red, dark brown).

In the veterinary clinic, in addition to conducting a clinical examination, your pet A blood test for babesiosis must be done. A drop of blood for a smear is taken from a capillary on the inner surface of the dog’s ear (not from a vein!) – it is deposited in the peripheral vessels greatest number piroplasm. The diagnosis of babesiosis is considered established only after its laboratory confirmation. If laboratory diagnostics are not carried out, then even if the classic triad of symptoms characteristic of babesiosis appears: hyperthermia ( heat), hematuria (“bloody urine”) and ectericity (jaundice) - no doctor is immune from fatal mistakes.

Walking with your pet can turn into a big problem if it gets bitten by a tick. To protect the animal, an integrated approach is required, including the use of special means, inspection skin, regular bathing and the use of protective clothing.

What types of ticks are there?

• - Subcutaneous mites. They are transmitted by contact and settle on upper layers animal skin. The result of this proximity is burning, itching, hair loss, and the development of purulent wounds. Subcutaneous mites can cause skin or ear scabies.

For small dogs, water-repellent fabric can protect most of the pet's exposed body during a walk.

How can you protect yourself and your pet?

Protecting dogs from ticks involves the use of special means. Experienced veterinarians recommend the following options:

Physical protection of the pet's body greatly simplifies the care of the animal and reduces the time of daily inspection after a walk.

Shoes for small dogs not only help their four-legged friends navigate muddy roads and thorns. It will provide reliable protection for the soft part of the paws from microscopic ticks carried by the wind. Shoes for dogs small breeds It has a hard sole and is securely fixed with clasps on the animal’s shin. A set of overalls and boots is an excellent option for protecting your pet from ticks.

Remember: without proper protection and treatment of damaged body parts, subcutaneous and forest ticks can lead to the death of the animal. If the animal is already affected by ticks, it is necessary to immediately contact a veterinarian.

How to use tick repellents correctly

TICK AND FLEA TREATMENT

Ixodid ticks carry piroplasmosis (babesiosis) and tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease).
Fleas are a source of infection with tapeworms (dipylidiasis).
Mosquitoes can transmit leishmaniasis and dirofilariasis (heartworms).

Getting rid of fleas is not difficult - treatment with modern drugs protects against infection for up to six months.
Mosquitoes are a big problem, but, fortunately, diseases transmitted by them are quite rare in the middle zone. The likelihood of infection is higher in the southern regions of Russia. Therefore, when going on vacation with your dog, check the epidemiological situation and treat the dog with appropriate medications in advance.
Ticks - here main enemy And " headache» all dog owners.

Ixodid ticks are ubiquitous and are infested with piroplasma on a massive scale. There are no remedies for them that provide a 100% guarantee of reliability! The problem is that highly toxic compounds that cause guaranteed death of the tick also harm the dog itself. In addition, some substances have the ability to gradually accumulate in the body. And you have to protect yourself from ticks for at least 6 months a year! When choosing a drug, you have to balance between reliability and toxicity. Therefore, be sure to look at what active substance is used. If the manufacturer does not indicate the composition, do not buy! Carefully read the manufacturer's instructions, and do not take advice from friends on walks!

What to choose - drops on the withers, spray or collar?

It all depends on the specific situation. With a high concentration of ticks, for greater reliability, you can combine drops and spray, or spray and collar. The main thing is that the active substance in them is from different groups to avoid overdose.
Sprays begin to act immediately after treatment.
Drops on the withers should be absorbed into the skin and distributed over it, this usually takes at least a day.

FRONTLINE SPOT ON drops (Merial, France) – active ingredient fipronil

FRONTLINE spray (Merial, France) – active ingredient fipronil

PRAK-TIK drops (Novartis Animal Health, Germany) – active ingredient pyriprole

ADVANTIX drops (Bayer, Germany) – active ingredients imidacloprid and permethrin

BOLFO spray (Bayer, Germany) – active ingredient propoxur

HARTZ drops (HARTZ, USA) – active ingredient phenothrin

BLOKHNET drops (Astrapharm, Russia) – active ingredients fipronil, benzyl benzoate, dimethyl phthalate

BLOKHNET spray (Astrapharm, Russia) – active ingredients fipronil, benzyl benzoate, diethyltoluamide, juvemon

BARS drops (Agrovetzashchita, Russia) – active ingredient fipronil

BARS spray (Agrovetzaschita, Russia) – active ingredient fipronil

DANA drops (Api-San, Russia) – active ingredient diazinon

DANA spray (Api-San, Russia) – active ingredient permethrin

ROLF CLUB drops (NPF “Ekoprom”, Russia) – active ingredients fipronil, pyriproxyfen

ROLF CLUB spray (NPF “Ekoprom”, Russia) – active ingredients fipronil, pyriproxyfen

CLEANITY drops (NPF “Ekoprom”, Russia) – active ingredients fipronil, permethrin

CLEANITY spray (NPF “Ekoprom”, Russia) – active ingredient permethrin

VECTRA 3D drops (Ceva Sante Animale, France) – active ingredients dinotefuran, permethrin, pyriproxyfen

For puppies, pregnant and lactating bitches, FRONTLINE SPOT ON drops are usually used on the withers, as they are slightly toxic to mammals. I treat it once every four weeks if the dogs don’t bathe, or every three weeks if they do. I treat adult dogs that have no contraindications with BLOCHNET drops every four weeks. Additionally, I spray with DANA spray before each “dangerous” walk - in the forest, in the fields. And, of course, after every walk I carefully examine the dogs, since fipronil does not repel ticks - they crawl out of the fur, wander through it, but do not bite. Permethrin repels well, but treating a Labrador completely, “without holes,” and even once every two weeks, is hard work. In addition, permethrin is washed off with water. A morning walk in the dew, an afternoon swim in the lake... and I no longer know how protected my dogs are. Therefore, I only use it in combination with drops. The combination of two active ingredients - fipronil and permethrin, gives, from my point of view, the best result.

Collars contain long-lasting insoluble compounds that gradually transfer to the fur. They begin to act after a few days, when the substance is distributed. The collar must be worn constantly without taking it off.

KILTIKS (Bayer, Germany) – active ingredients propaxur and flumethrin
SKALIBOR (MSD Animal Health/Intervet LLC, Russia) – active ingredient deltamethrin
BEAFAR (Beaphar, Holland) – active ingredient diazinon

BOLFO (Bayer, Germany) – active ingredient propaxur

I don't use collars for the following reasons.
First, I don’t have one dog, but several. In games, they chew and lick each other, grab collars with their teeth - there is a high probability of poisoning. (In families with small children, it is also impossible to keep track of whether they touched the collar or washed their hands after that...)
The second reason is that directly under the collar the concentration of the toxic substance is especially high, which causes skin problems. Of course, this is very individual and depends on the dog’s sensitivity, but it is not uncommon.
The third reason is that collars smell strongly.

The first (spring) treatment against ticks should be carried out as soon as the “plus” night temperature has established.

The dog should not be washed three days before and two days after treatment.

Mark each treatment on your calendar so you don't miss the next one.

If you combine products (drops + spray), treat with the second product no earlier than 10 days after the first.

After each walk, inspect your dog and destroy any ticks found.

If the dog is dark and ticks are difficult to see, comb the fur with a fine comb.

If, despite the measures taken, the dog is bitten by a tick, carefully monitor its well-being for three weeks. At the first signs of lethargy, refusal to eat, you need to measure the rectal temperature, and if it is elevated (the norm is 38.4 - 39.0) - go to the vet immediately. clinic and do a test for the presence of Babesia in the blood. With timely treatment, piroplasmosis is curable, but every hour of delay reduces the chances of a successful outcome!

Spring-summer-autumn, time for mandatory treatment of dogs against ticks!

Why are treatments not always effective?

When there are cases of piroplasmosis in my kennel, I always ask the owners in detail how and with what the dogs were treated. An interesting pattern emerges - almost always either the deadlines or the rules for using drugs were violated. Therefore, I would like to remind you once again how to properly treat your dog against ticks with drops.

1) 3 days before treatment, the dog should not be washed, not bathed, namely washed, with detergents. Why? Because the fatty layer, in which the protective agent should actually be distributed, is washed off

2) You cannot bathe for 2 days after treatment. Why? Because the protective agent must be distributed throughout the fatty layer covering the dog’s fur, and this takes time.

3) Drops should be applied to the skin (not to the fur), pointwise! Do not pour the entire pipette in one place, but distribute it drop by drop along the back, starting from the back of the dog’s head to the middle of the lower back.

4) Drops must be stored correctly - in a dark place, at a temperature from 0 to 35 degrees. Therefore, it is very important to buy drugs in trusted places where storage conditions are met and where there is no chance of purchasing a counterfeit.

5) Write down processing times! You cannot rely on memory; even one missed day can be fatal. Frontline Spot drops last for 3 weeks if the dog bathes regularly or 4 weeks if the dog does not bathe. Follow these deadlines!

6) After each walk, inspect the dog and remove crawling ticks from it. Drops of ticks do not repel ticks, they seem to “make the dog not tasty.” Therefore, there is time to collect them and destroy them.

How to protect your dog from ticks

Almost all owners have heard that ticks are dangerous for dogs. Not everyone knows what the dangers are, what they cause and how to properly protect your dog from ticks. Here are some misconceptions of owners that we encounter in the process of work:

That ticks cause the disease encephalitis in dogs,
- that it is enough to put drops on the withers once at the beginning of spring and the dog will be protected for the entire period,
- that a tick can only be “caught” in the forest, and since we don’t go into the forest, then there is no need to treat the dog,
- that if you find a tick on a dog, you need to urgently administer serum like in humans or start treatment.

In this article we will try to sort everything out.

1. After each walk, the dog must be examined and felt with your fingers, especially with thick hair, and especially carefully the head, neck, chest and groin in order to detect and remove the tick as early as possible. Ticks attack dogs not only in the forest or park, as some dog breeders mistakenly believe, but also in courtyards and squares.

2. If a tick is found, it must be removed. It is better to do this at the veterinary clinic. The place where the head of a female tick turns into the abdomen is very tender and easily tears, so you cannot pull the tick by the abdomen, you can simply tear it off, the head and legs will remain in the skin, it is very difficult to remove them and, as a rule, a local inflammatory process begins. You need to remove the tick with a special device (can be bought at a veterinary pharmacy) or tweezers using a twisting motion. To protect yourself, wear gloves because... It is not known what kind of “filling” this tick has – whether it is dangerous for a dog or a person. After removal, the wound must be treated with an antiseptic, for example, iodine. Ticks do not sink in water and are practically impossible to dry out. You should not try to crush them - this may lead to the spread of the infection they carry. Most The best way to destroy a tick - burn it.

3. The moment of infection with piroplasmosis does not occur immediately at the moment of the bite, as they write in some articles on the Internet, but only on the second day, when the female drinks blood and squeezes back the liquid (unnecessary) part of the blood, then the piroplasm from the salivary glands of the tick is under pressure (like a syringe) and enter the dog’s blood. Therefore, it is unlikely that a newly attached tick with an unfilled abdomen will cause disease.

4. Next, you need to very carefully monitor the dog’s condition and measure body temperature rectally every day. The fact is that not all ticks are carriers of piroplasmosis; a “healthy” tick can also attack a dog. And, as a rule, before clinical signs of the disease appear, piroplasms are not detected in the blood. The first signs for which you should immediately consult a doctor are: an increase in body temperature above 39.5 degrees, lethargy, refusal to eat, the mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth are pale or yellowish, urine with blood or a dark color, weakness of the hind limbs, may have diarrhea. The destruction of red blood cells occurs in the body, which affects all organs, primarily the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, and pancreas. Owners make a big mistake when, seeing such manifestations, they do not go to the clinic, but carry out symptomatic treatment at home in the form of antipyretics, treats to increase appetite, etc.

5. Very important point– this is urgent, it is also a timely visit to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The earlier the disease is detected and treatment is started, the Great chance recovery of the pet, for short term(for example, 3 days) and for less money. There are often cases when owners do not understand the danger of the disease, wait several days and come to the appointment when it is already difficult for doctors to save the dog.

6. An accurate diagnosis can only be made using a blood smear from peripheral small vessels. As a rule, a drop of blood is taken on glass from the ear, rarely from the claw. In our clinic, the analysis is ready immediately at the appointment in 15-20 minutes. In the photo there are 2 pear-shaped formations in the red blood cell purple- These are piroplasms.

8. Chronic course. In a chronic course, all of the listed symptoms are blurred. And it is not always possible to immediately determine the cause of the disease. After contracting piroplasmosis, 80% of dogs are carriers of piroplasma (depot in the spleen); there are no clinical signs. Stable immunity against piroplasms is not developed, so the animal can get sick again and again. There are cases where, for example, a dog suffered from piroplasmosis for two years in a row and received treatment; in the third year the disease was again confirmed in the laboratory, but the owners refused treatment; the dog, fortunately, recovered. But this is the exception rather than the rule.

9. Prevention. For prevention, the veterinary drug market offers: drops on the withers, sprays, collars, and since 2009, the Pirodog vaccine (Merial company, France) has appeared in our country. The effects of external preparations differ in: repellent (repellent sprays), contact (ticks die upon contact with treated hair and skin) and protection against infection with piroplasmosis, but do not protect against tick attacks.

1) Drops on the withers(spot-on). Drops on the withers against ticks and fleas are now on sale in a large selection. There are imported and domestic ones, they have different active ingredients, different period protection against ticks and fleas, price from 25 to 700 rubles. The most important condition is to carry out the treatments correctly and in a timely manner, i.e. if the packaging says that the drops protect against ticks for 4 weeks, then you need to observe an interval of 4 weeks, and not 4.5 or 5 or more, because even a few days that the dog remains unprotected can lead to piroplasmosis. Another important point is to buy pipettes strictly according to the dog’s weight, apply directly to the skin, and do not bathe the dog 3 days before and after treatment. Always carefully read the instructions for anti-tick medications - what weight the pipette is designed for, how long protection is guaranteed, at what age and weight of a puppy or dog the drug can be used, and whether it is suitable for pregnant and lactating bitches (!).

The drops are convenient and easy to use, and can be easily selected for a dog’s specific weight.

– Frontline spot-on (France) – the manufacturer guarantees protection against ticks of 95% and against fleas of 100%, subject to all treatment conditions, does not have a repellent effect, so there is no need to be afraid that ticks can attack the dog, it protects against infection with piroplasmosis . When a female tick drinks blood containing the active substance fipronil, she dies without having time to squeeze back the liquid part of the blood and release piroplasm into the dog’s blood. Fipronil is absolutely safe for dogs, does not cause allergies, and is non-toxic. Frontline can be used on pregnant and lactating bitches, as well as puppies from 2 months of age and starting with a puppy/dog weight of 2 kg (up to 2 months, even from birth, and up to 2 kg Frontline spray is suitable). The manufacturing company Merial was the first in the world to use purified fipronil; it has conducted and continues to conduct a lot of research on its products and values ​​its reputation.

– Rolf Club, Praktik (Germany), Mister Bruno, Fiprex – generic drugs created on the basis of fipronil after the discovery of Frontline, manufacturers did not need to conduct research and confirmation, because they followed the beaten path and the effectiveness of such drugs was declared to be 80% .

– Hartz (USA), Advantix, Dana (Russia), Celandine (Russia) – preparations based on permethrins or organophosphorus compounds – have a contact effect, i.e. The tick dies upon contact with the animal's fur. Disadvantage - they are easily washed off with water (dew, rain, puddles, ponds), not suitable for pregnant and lactating dogs, sick and weakened dogs, as well as puppies under 6-8 weeks of age. It is better to use such drops more often than what is written on the package.

– Stronghold, Advocate, Advantage drops DO NOT PROTECT against ticks

2) Sprays.Sprays are also based on different substances: fipronil (Frontline) and pyrethroids (Dana, Celandine, Bolfo-spray).

– Frontline spray is convenient to use for puppies under 2 months of age and weighing less than 2 kg, for smooth-haired small dogs, for hairless dogs, and also as additional protection to Frontline spot-on drops for treating open areas of the body (ears, jowls) , belly, between the toes) for dogs that like to bathe frequently or, for example, hunting dogs. In this case, there will be no overdose of fipronil, guaranteed by the manufacturer. The meaning of protection is the same as that of Frontline spot-on drops. It is not recommended to use in large (too much consumption), thick-haired dogs (difficult to reach the skin), because the animal correct processing should be wet with the drug.

– Sprays based on pyrethroids – must be applied 1-2 times a week (see instructions), sprayed against the growth of fur, avoiding contact with eyes, mouth, nose, this must be done outdoors (since inhaled vapors are toxic!), cannot be used puppies under 6 weeks of age, pregnant, lactating, sick, weakened animals, avoid licking the drug after treatment by the animal itself or other animals.

When owners have complaints that “the drug is not working,” this can mean two things:

a) the owner and his animal are included in the remaining 100 percent guaranteed by the drug manufacturers (for example, the manufacturer’s guarantee is 80%, then you are included in the remaining 20), subject to compliance with all rules and processing times.

b) the owner carries out the treatments incorrectly - the first treatment is carried out not at the beginning of spring, but later, the interval between treatments is not observed, one pipette is dripped onto several animals in order to save money, the dog is bathed, it swims in natural springs or gets exposed to rain for 3 days before or after treatment with drops or sprays, or taken for a walk immediately after applying the drops. For example, abroad all vaccinations, treatments against worms, as well as treatments against fleas and ticks are carried out only by a veterinarian, and “incorrect” or untimely treatments are simply excluded.

3) Collars. The collars are impregnated with drugs that create a protective cloud around the dog (repellent effect), and also spread through the coat and sebaceous glands, providing contact protection. The service life of the collar is 5-7 months, it must be worn without taking it off so that there is constant contact with the fur and skin, and not as an accessory for a walk. Although many collars say that they are waterproof, if your dog bathes frequently, it is better to change the collar before the specified time. It should not be used by pregnant, lactating, sick or weakened animals, puppies under 2 months of age, and some, for example, Beafar, can only be used from 6 months of age. May cause local irritation upon contact with skin in the neck area.

Some owners play it safe and use both drops and a collar for protection. It is better not to do this, because when mixing two drugs from different groups, something third is obtained on the skin, it is unknown how it affects the animal’s body, and is quite capable of causing allergic reaction or intoxication.

4) The Pirodog vaccine (Merial, France) was developed to create immunity in dogs against piroplasmosis, the vaccine effectiveness is 76-80%. Vaccination must begin at 5 months of age, when the puppy has already been vaccinated against viral infections. The vaccination is given twice with an interval of 3-4 weeks, revaccination after a year, if the dog is often attacked by ticks - then once every six months. If the dog is a carrier of piroplasma (previously had the disease), then the vaccine can provoke the disease, i.e. manifestation of clinical signs (in this case, standard treatment + treatment with drops is necessary). Pregnant dogs cannot be vaccinated; vaccination cannot be combined with other vaccines (with the exception of vaccines against leptospirosis and rabies).

Many experienced dog breeders have already made their choice in favor of one or another method of protecting your pet from ticks and piroplasmosis. We hope that this article will help novice dog owners make their choice, and will also clarify the existing ideas and beliefs of dog breeders about anti-tick treatments.

Inchina Anna Aleksandrovna, veterinarian at the MEGAvet clinic

How to protect your dog or cat from tick bites? What to do if a tick bites your pet?

Tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis are not dangerous for dogs and cats; they do not suffer from these diseases. For them, ticks are primarily dangerous infectious disease piroplasmosis.

First of all, remember to protect your pet from tick attacks.

Today there is a large choice various means in the form of sprays, collars and drops on the withers. How do these drugs work, and which one should you choose to protect your pet? And the form of release of the drug, and the quality of the product, and the authority of the company that produces it, matter.

The composition of any form of a protective drug includes an active substance and a filler in which this active substance is dissolved. Drops differ from sprays in the concentration of the active substance per unit volume, and with insectoacaricidal collars both the active substance and the solvent are applied to a special synthetic base in the form of a tape (collar).

Upon contact with the skin after applying drops, sprays or while wearing a collar, due to the lipophilic properties of the filler (the ability to easily dissolve in fats), the insectoacaricide is absorbed into the subcutaneous tissue and accumulates in the sebaceous follicles. From there, along with the secretion, the insectoacaricide is released onto the surface of the skin in small portions for a long time. Therefore, treated animals can be bathed within two to three days.

It should be borne in mind that ticks and other insects can attach to the animal’s fur, but immediately after this the active substances begin to act on them protective agent. This leads to a sharp decrease in tick activity, and then to death.
The manufacturer's recommended application regimens for most products are as follows: the drug must be applied to the animal's skin in some way - drops and sprays are distributed at several points once every two to four weeks, and the active substance from the collars is gradually absorbed into the skin while it is worn.

However, with this method of application, the highest concentration of the protective substance is created in the immediate vicinity of the animal’s skin, and very unevenly. This is quite enough to protect against fleas, lice and lice. But for more “tenacious” ixodid ticks, additional protection is required in the form of daily application of a spray to the animal’s fur. This is especially true for long-haired dogs and cats.

Based on this, the most effective means of protection are insectoacaricidal sprays, used according to the following scheme: basic treatment by applying a spray to the skin once every few weeks, in the amount recommended by the manufacturer, plus daily spraying of a small amount on the animal’s fur.

For example, “Frontline” spray, 250 ml of the French company “Merial” or its analogue “Fipron” spray, 250 ml of the Czech company “Biovetta” is recommended to be used as follows: once every three to four weeks, at the rate of four presses of the distribution head per one kilogram of live weight of the animal, sprayed onto the skin of the animal - as a basic treatment (the spray distribution head has two positions - for jet application and spraying), plus daily spraying on the fur (two to six presses of the distribution head are enough).

There are no other preventive means of preventing infection with piroplasmosis: to date, neither a vaccine nor serum (immunoglobulin) against this disease has been invented. It’s worth mentioning right away that the listed insectoacarizid agents, even with daily use, do not protect one hundred percent from tick attacks, so an additional examination of the animal after a walk will not hurt.

What to do if, despite all the measures taken, the dog is still bitten by a tick?

You should not remove a tick with your bare hands (use tweezers, gloves, etc. - the main thing is to avoid contact with the tick on your skin and mucous membranes - there is a danger of contracting other diseases that are already dangerous to humans.

It is convenient to remove ticks with curved tweezers or a surgical clamp; in principle, any other tweezers will do. In this case, the tick must be grabbed as close to the proboscis as possible, then it is carefully pulled up, while rotating around its axis in a convenient direction. Usually, after 1-3 turns, the entire tick is removed along with the proboscis. If you try to pull the tick out, there is a high probability of it breaking.

There are special devices for removing ticks.

These devices have an advantage over clamps or tweezers, since the body of the tick is not compressed, squeezing the contents of the tick into the wound is avoided - reduces the risk of contracting tick-borne infections.

If you are unable to remove the tick yourself, contact a veterinarian.

Secondly, pay attention to the general condition and behavior of your pet: lethargy, refusal to feed, an increase in body temperature to 39.5-410 C, change in the color of urine - any of these symptoms is a reason to contact the clinic.

But if you receive an offer to give your dog a “tick injection” (this is the usual wording of both dog owners and “persons of para-veterinary passion”), then think carefully before accepting this help. Human viral encephalitis immunoglobulin is in no way suitable for the prevention or treatment of piroplasmosis. In addition, the use of this drug, which is very non-specific for animals, will not only bring no benefit, but can also seriously allerge the dog’s body (and cause significant damage to your wallet through pointless spending).

There is also no need to rush into administering a specific antipyroplasmid drug, such as veriben or azidine. On the one hand, these drugs are extremely toxic (in fact, they are poisons), on the other hand, their effect does not last long. Therefore, if the tick that has bitten an animal turns out to be uninfected (and on average 3 to 14 percent of insects are infected with piroplasms), then with the so-called preventive therapy you will deal a heavy blow to the entire body, to the liver and immune system in the first place.

If the worst happens, and a couple of days after the tick bite you notice something wrong in the dog’s behavior, immediately go to the clinic. Piroplasmosis is a rapidly developing disease: from the appearance of the first clinical signs (often unspecific) to severe toxic damage to the body (or even death) can take only a few days.

At the veterinary clinic, in addition to conducting a clinical examination, your pet must be tested for piroplasmosis. A drop of blood for a smear is taken from the dog’s ear (not from a vein!) - it is in the peripheral vessels that the largest amount of piroplasms is deposited. The diagnosis of piroplasmosis is considered established only after its laboratory confirmation. If laboratory diagnostics are not carried out, then even if the classic triad of symptoms characteristic of piroplasmosis appears: hyperthermia (high temperature), hematuria (“bloody urine”) and ectericity (jaundice) - no doctor is immune from fatal errors.

Therapy for piroplasmosis should not be limited to only a course of a specific anti-pyroplasmosis drug. Such limited treatment is fraught with the development of mass chronic diseases in the future. Moreover, a dog can become infected more than once: immunity is not formed after an illness.

As already noted, with piroplasmosis, the kidneys, liver and hematopoietic system are primarily affected, on which the state of immunity largely depends. And if kidney-hepatic problems are usually not forgotten, then not all veterinary specialists remember about the total immunodeficiency that accompanies piroplasmosis, which arises as a result of the combined toxic effect of piroplasms and poisons introduced to destroy these same piroplasms.

Moreover, in this case, not every immunostimulant is suitable for correction. First of all, it should be a drug that stimulates hematopoiesis (i.e., the production of new red and white blood cells in blood depots) most effective way and, at the same time, activating existing cells of the immune system.

The most modern means RONKOLEYKIN® (IL-2), produced by BIOTECH LLC (St. Petersburg), meets these requirements. The use of this immunomodulatory drug in the complex therapy of piroplasmosis will not only facilitate the fight against the disease itself, but will also help to avoid unwanted complications after treatment.

Tools and accessories for tick removal

It is convenient to remove ticks with curved tweezers or a surgical clamp; in principle, any other tweezers will do. In this case, the tick needs to be grabbed as close to the proboscis as possible, then it is gently pulled and at the same time rotated around its axis in a convenient direction. Usually, after 1-3 turns, the entire tick is removed along with the proboscis. If you try to pull the tick out, there is a high probability of it breaking.

Currently, industry, including Russian industry, has launched the production of special devices for removing ticks from both people and animals. Most often this is a hook similar to a curved two-pronged fork. The plier is inserted between the teeth and then unscrewed.

These devices have an advantage over clamps or tweezers, since the body of the tick is not compressed and the risk of contracting tick-borne infections is somewhat reduced.

Tick ​​Twister (TICK TWISTER) - a hook for removing ticks. Externally, the device looks like a small nail puller. The kit includes two hooks for removing large and small ticks. The tick is grabbed from the side, slightly pulled and twisted.

In total, there are about 160 species of these unpleasant insects in the world. And they are all divided into two types: demodectic mites (those that live and thrive under the skin) and ixodid mites (those that prefer to live on the surface of the skin).

During periods of tick activity, in June and August-September, carry out a preventive examination of the animal after each walk.

Many people mistakenly rely on the moisture in the nose to determine the condition of the animal. This is not an indicator. The temperature can be very high and your nose will still be wet.

Important! The sooner you start treatment, the greater the chance that your pet will not suffer much from a tick bite. Therefore, carefully observe the behavior of your furry friend.

Apathy, loss of appetite, drowsiness - here sure signs that something is wrong with the animal. Veterinarians note that recently the consequences of a tick bite have become much more severe, and new symptoms have been added, for example, coughing.

Diseases and treatments

Piroplasmosis. This is an infection that is carried by ticks. It is very difficult: there is a high temperature, swelling of the extremities, and sometimes a cough. The animal refuses to eat. Without specific treatment, the mortality rate from infection reaches 98%. But with timely treatment, piroplasmosis can be cured. Unfortunately, immunity to it is not developed. Pyroplasmas remain in the blood and manifest themselves as soon as the immune system weakens. The most dangerous thing is that this disease affects the liver. And there is no way to determine this by eye.

Let's strengthen prevention

There is a vaccine against piroplasmosis, but, unfortunately, it is rare in Russia and is expensive.

In general, there are quite a lot of means to protect against tick bites. These are special shampoos, powders, collars, aerosols, drops on the withers. Most often, veterinarians recommend a combination of two products, for example, a collar + drops.

Important! All of these products are very toxic. Therefore, strictly follow the instructions for use.

The latest developments include medallions with pulsating ultrasound. Statistics show that they are effective. But, unfortunately, they have not been certified on the Russian market, so their use is not guaranteed safe.

How to remove a tick

You can purchase a special machine for removing ticks in the store. It is small in size and allows you to carefully remove the entire insect.

Ticks must also be destroyed according to the rules. The fact is that they do not sink in water and practically do not dry out. They cannot simply be crushed, as this can lead to the spread of infection. It is best to drown the tick in vodka or burn it in a closed container.