| Ask The Vet -
Q&A |
Question
We are taking 4 dogs to Scotland in 4 weeks time. We are
stopping at the edge of a Forest at the Trossacks. What precautions
should we take for mosquitoes and ticks?
Barbara - Sheppey, Kent, UK |
Answering questions:
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS from
Vet
Help Direct |
| Answer |
Hi Barbara,
Unfortunately
I don’t know the area that you are referring to so I will
just deal with preventing ticks and mosquitoes. In the UK the main
risk from mosquitoes or ticks is Lymes disease. This is fairly uncommon,
although I have just checked and it is present in ticks in the Trossacks.
Ticks and mosquitoes can also cause unpleasant skin problems, especially
if ticks are removed incorrectly. If you take the precautions suggested
below your dogs should be at a low risk of getting these problems.
There
are several products on the market that kill ticks for example;
Frontline, Prac-tic and Advantix. Of these, Advantix is the only
product that also repels mosquitoes.
Advantix
repels and kills some types of ticks for 4 weeks but for other types
needs to be re-applied every 3 weeks. It also repels mosquitoes
for 2–4 weeks. Advantix is a prescription only drug so you
will need to get it, or a prescription for it, from your vets. The
only anti-tick treatment available without a prescription is Frontline,
which kills ticks after 48 hours but has no repellent action and
it is not licensed to repel mosquitoes.
You
will need to administer the Advantix in advance of your trip to
prevent the ticks from attaching. Dogs should not be allowed to
go into water for at least 48 hours after application so if you
are planning on letting them go for a swim you should administer
well in advance of your trip. Read the instructions carefully before
applying the Advantix. Remember it is poisonous to cats, so your
dogs should be kept away from cats until the product has dried off.
Advantix
does not guarantee to repel 100% of ticks from attaching so check
your dogs carefully after they’ve been in the forest and remove
any ticks that have managed to latch on. This should prevent them
from feeding and reduce the risk of your dogs catching any diseases.
I would recommend getting hold of a Tick Twister Tick O'Tom to help
with the safe removal of the tick; this device slides under the
tick and you can gently twist it removing the tick safely (follow
the manufacturers instructions). Advantix will also prevent fleas
(4 weeks), sandflies (2–3weeks) and stable flies (4 weeks)
so your dogs should be well protected!
Enjoy
your trip!
Kind regards,
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS www.vethelpdirect.com
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