How to Effectively Remove Ticks from Your Dog

Most dog owners have encountered the pesky problem of ticks on their dog.  Ticks are small arachnids that can be black or brown and they have eight legs. If your dogs often spend time outdoors, then a daily check should be part of your routine. Check the dog’s entire body, including under the armpits, between the toes, and the inside of the ears. 

"Tick-in-a-dog" by Jazzjohnn - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tick-in-a-dog.jpg#/media/File:Tick-in-a-dog.jpg

If you find a tick on your dog, you should act promptly to remove this parasite.  Grasping the tick out and pulling in a straight, steady motion is the most basic way to remove ticks. Drop the tick into a small container that contains isopropyl alcohol to immediately kill it. 

If your dog has quite a number of ticks on his body, bathing with a shampoo that contains medicated ingredients to kill ticks on contact is an inexpensive way to deal with these parasites. However, you would need to bathe your dog once a week as the effective ingredients in the dog shampoo won't last that long. Some of these are amitraz shampoo, Defendex All-Natural Flea, Tick, and Mange Shampoo for Dogs and Cats,  PetArmor Plus Shampoo, Demodex Mange Shampoo Dogs and Mite.

Tick collars can repel ticks although mainly useful for protecting the head and neck. These dog tick collars may be used as an added preventive measure. Make sure that you can fit two fingers under the collar when it is around your pet’s neck. 

Spot-on treatments such as Frontline, K9 Advantix II, Bio Spot Active Care, and Revolution are convenient ways to give your pet month-long protection. The treatment is applied by pouring the liquid onto the nape of your dog, just between the shoulders. Bigger dogs need a larger dose size so instead of applying on one spot, you can apply it on several spots. 

Oral medications or pills may also be given to dogs. They work by killing the ticks and will disrupt their life cycle. They are convenient and can easily be given. 

Injectable medication such as Ivomec or ivermectin may be used to kill ticks. Although this is mostly to prevent heartworms in dogs, they may also be used by your veterinarian to treat demodectic and sarcoptic mange and other skin and intestinal parasites. 

While you may be doing all you can keep your pet tick-free, they may keep coming back if the rest of your house and your yard is infested. You must consider treating your home and surroundings as well to prevent re-infection.

The Labrador Retriever

The Labrador retriever is a medium sized dog best regarded for being one of the friendliest among dog breeds. They are well-behaved around children and a perfect companion among the elderly. Originally bred to help fishermen hall in their catch, Labradors are further bred with other retrievers to sharpen their retrieving qualities; as a result, Labrador retrievers were labeled as a “gun dog” as they are well adapted to hunt with gun sportsmen. 

Basically there are two types of Labradors: The American Labrador and English Labrador. The American Labrador is tall and slender, while English Labradors are broader and heavier. Both have thick water proof coat and comes in solid black, yellow and chocolate. One distinctive characteristic feature of Labradors is their strong jaw set in a broad head. They have strong legs and shoulders and their webbed feet make them excellent swimmers.

Temperament

Labradors have been the favorite of Americans and gaining popularity in other nationalities because they are gentle, loving, loyal, patient and affectionate. They are great with kids, they can be trained to assist the elderly or the blind, and they are a perfect family dog. These dogs are very energetic and playful, but they can be destructive if boundaries are not set or if the owner does not show authority. Due to their gentleness, these dogs are not good guard dogs.

Care

Labrador retrievers are active dogs and they need regular exercise to release their energy. Daily walks or letting them run around the park or back yard will do well. If you have access to a river, beach, or lake, let them go for a dip as they love to go for a swim. 

If you plan to keep your Labrador indoors, weekly combing is needed because these dogs shed a lot of hair. 

Health

One major problem with Labradors is obesity. Labradors can eat a lot if given the opportunity, if you’re not careful in rationing your dog food, you will end up with a very fat lab. Inactivity and lack of exercise can also lead to obesity.