Question: It has been so nice out that I have been taking my dog to different parks every weekend. I even took him camping several times with me. I found a tick on him a couple of times and I removed it. Now, all of a sudden, he has lots of ticks on him every day. I have seen them crawling up the walls at my house! I am freaked out! I have been using Frontline on him, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. I bought him a tick collar, and that hasn't helped. What should I do?
Answer: Ticks can be difficult to control. Many of the older products are not working fast enough. Frontline is now an older molecule, and its generic equivalent is available almost everywhere. It does not seem to be as effective as it was in years past. Fortunately newer molecules are available and seem to be doing a good job.
The newest products are Simparica, Bravecto and Nexgard. Simparica and Nexgard are given by mouth once a month. Bravecto is given by mouth once every three months. Once the tablet is ingested, it takes a few hours to start killing fleas and ticks.
Since one tick can lay thousands of eggs, new ticks could hatch every day for many months. It is important to clean and treat your house and yard for ticks. It is best to use Simparica every month to prevent a tick infestation in your environment.
In addition, ticks can carry some very serious diseases like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Ehrlichia, babesia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Using a good flea and tick preventative can help decrease transmission of these diseases.
Ask your veterinarian what product is best for your dog.
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