Understanding the Impact of Ticks and Fleas on Dogs: A Comprehensive Guide 

Understanding the Impact of Ticks and Fleas on Dogs: A Comprehensive Guide 

Fleas and ticks are tiny little parasites that can cause a lot of discomfort to our pets. Not only do they cause excessive itching but can also lead to diseases and even life-threatening conditions, if left untreated. As pet owners, it is therefore quite crucial to understand the dangers and symptoms of tick and flea infestation, as well as explore the options of flea and tick treatment for dogs. In this comprehensive guide, we will be giving you all the information you need to keep your pet protected against fleas and ticks while also making you aware of preventative products that can keep your pets safe from these parasites. 

What are fleas and ticks? And how dangerous can they really be?

Imagine having a spider crawl all over your skin. It would be quite irritating, wouldn’t it? It’s the same for our pets when they have a flea or tick infestation, but worse… much worse.  

Fleas are small, wingless insects that live on animals and feed off their blood. Ticks are much larger than fleas, and they have eight legs instead of six. Fleas and ticks make your pet’s fur their home. They feed on your pet’s blood and have piercing mouthparts that allow them to inject their saliva into the animal’s skin. This infestation can cause a lot of problems for your pets ranging from dermatitis to paralysis. Preventative flea and tick treatment for dogs is therefore the only way to ensure that these nasty parasites do not make a home on your dog’s fur. 

 Symptoms of flea and tick infestation 

Flea treatment for dogs may be required if you notice symptoms such as excessive scratching, irregular agitation, red pimples or bumps on your pet’s skin and loss of fur.  

Ticks can potentially be more dangerous as they release a toxin in the bloodstream of their host which severs the connection between the host pet’s nerves and muscles. This can lead to tick paralysis in dogs and is caused by the paralysis tick. Paralysis ticks can cause severe illness and, if not detected and treated promptly, can even lead to death. The signs of tick infestation would include: 

  1. Visible Ticks: Ticks are bigger than fleas, and you may be able to spot them if you check your dog’s fur routinely. If your dog has ticks, it can often be sighted around the head, neck, ears, or between toes. 
  1. Skin Irritation or Redness: Ticks can cause local skin irritation or redness at the site of attachment. 
  1. Lumps or Bumps: Raised areas or bumps on the skin might indicate a tick bite. 
  1. Lethargy or Weakness: In severe cases, tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease or Ehrlichiosis can cause lethargy, weakness, loss of appetite, or fever. 

 

Flea and tick treatment for dogs

Combating both fleas and ticks requires a comprehensive approach. There are several treatment options (such as Bravecto chewable tablet and spot-on treatment, chewable tablets by Simperica, Nexguard, Advocate and more) available that provide protection against both parasites, making it easier for pet owners to keep their dogs safe and free from infestations. These combined flea and tick treatments offer convenience and effectiveness, allowing you to address both problems simultaneously. 

Exploring the treatment options:

In the final segment of this comprehensive guide on fleas and ticks, we will explore the product options for flea and tick treatments for dogs. Three of the most common brands that exist currently for flea and tick protection for dogs are Simperica, Nexguard and Bravecto. While each of the three offers chewable tablets for pets that provide protection against flea and tick infestation, Bravecto lasts longer and offers spot-on treatment options as well. The spot-on treatment option is ideal for pets who can be fussy about consuming tablets and lasts for a full 6 months.

Additionally, while the Nexguard and Simperica provide protection against fleas and ticks for one month and 35 days respectively, Bravecto’s flea and tick treatment for dogs lasts for 12 weeks. Here’s a table comparing the three brands: 

While the current Bravecto Chewable and Spot-on treatments win our vote as the preferred choice of flea and tick treatment for dogs because of their variety of treatment options and length of protection, we are very excited to announce that there is a new Bravecto injectable that will soon be launched which will offer up to 1 year of protection against fleas and ticks. 

BRAVECTO QUANTUM 

Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic is amongst the first to have ordered this injectable, BRAVECTO QUANTUM which is Australia’s first and only Injectable Parasiticide to provide up to a full year of flea and tick protection for dogs.  

There is only a limited stock of the Bravecto Quantum Injectable due to come in over the next few months. Fill out this form now and get on our waiting list in order to be notified as soon as we have the Bravecto Quantum Injectable in stock. Give your pet year-round protection against nasty fleas and ticks and register to get the injectable NOW. (form: https://marketing.southerncrossvet.com.au/survey/start/7be27e69-2058-448a-a1e2-69a6547f473e)

Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] or call us at 1300 DOC SAM (1300 362 726) to enquire about the injectable further.

 

Dr Sam Kovac BVSc (Merit)

Dr Sam followed his dream of becoming a veterinary surgeon which began at age three. Since then, he has developed a strong interest in oncology, internal medicine and animal behaviour. Dr Sam continues his passion for providing the most up-to-date care to his patients and their two-legged family.