Do you know of any oral treatments that will cover fleas, heartworm, and ticks? I would really like to get away from the topical application, but we also live in an area with a heavy dear population, so I feel like tick protection is important.

Mandi
Lago Vista, TX

Sadly, I am not aware of any oral medications that effectively prevent ticks in dogs.

Sentinel is a medicine that prevents heartworm, certain intestinal worms, and breeding flea infestations in dogs and cats. It does not kill individual fleas, and it does not prevent ticks.

Comfortis is a new monthly oral flea preventative for dogs only. It does not offer protection against heartworm or ticks. Capstar is a daily (or every other day) oral flea preventative for dogs and cats. It also does not protect against ticks or heartworm.

If you want truly effective tick prevention, at this time you’ll be stuck using a topical treatment such as Frontline Plus, Vectra 3D, or K9 Advantix. Homeopathic oral tick preventatives are not effective in my experience.

One note: you mention that you are worried about ticks because of deer in your area. I presume that means you’re worried about Lyme disease, which is spread by deer ticks. Note that deer populations do not harbor Lyme disease, and the number of deer in your area won’t necessarily correlate with the prevalence of Lyme disease. The reservoir for Lyme disease is a type of wild mouse.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• How can I Know if my Pet has Parasites?
• How Common is Lyme Disease in Dogs?
• Why is my Dog Still Itchy After I Applied Frontline?
• What Are the Treatments for Tick Paralysis?
• What Should I do About a Tick on my Dog?

Hello,

Heather
San Diego, CA

If you are not completely certain that what you are seeing is a tick, then I would not recommend that you attempt to remove it.

Ticks are blood sucking parasites that can carry a number of diseases. Lyme disease is the most famous, and dogs are susceptible to it. Ticks also spread frightening diseases and syndromes with scary names such as ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Q-fever, tick paralysis, and rocky mountain spotted fever.

Fortunately, most dogs that suffer from tick infestation do not contract a serious disease. Skin infection at the site of attachment is the most common complication that I see.

A vet should definitely take a look at Stuart’s foot. If, in fact, a tick is attached then it should be removed. But you should be aware that skin tags, benign tumors, moles and warts sometimes look like ticks. Your best bet is to have a professional assess the situation.

Photo: André Karwath. Photo license: CC

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Can Any Oral Medication Prevent Ticks, Fleas, and Heartworm
• How Common is Lyme Disease in Dogs?
• What Are the Treatments for Tick Paralysis?
• What is the Best Way to Remove a Tick From my Pet?
• Should my Dog’s Stomach be Tacked to Prevent Bloat?

Map credit: Centers for Disease Control. The geographic distribution of Lyme disease in dogs closely matches the distribution in people.

Our 10-year-old Terrier Jazz has been bitten by two
ticks this summer . How would I know if she has
gotten Lyme disease from them? How would I tell? We
keep her on heart worm and fleameds all the time.

Angel
Knoxville Tn.

Lyme disease (often misspelled lymes disease) is spread by ticks. It can infect humans and dogs. Lyme, Connecticut has the dubious distinction of being the place where the disease was first identified. The disease is named after the town.

A fair bit of misinformation circulates about Lyme disease. The bacteria that causes the disease is most commonly spread by a type of tick called the deer tick. Many people therefore believe that deer serve as reservoirs for the disease. That is not true. In fact, certain species of wild mice are the reservoirs.

Many people also believe that Lyme disease is common throughout the United States. That also is not true. As the map above shows, Lyme disease is very common along the northeastern seaboard and in the upper midwest. It is rare elsewhere.

In particular, Lyme disease is not common in the west or the south. Experts believe Lyme disease is rare in these areas because ticks prefer to feed on lizards, rather than mice, before they feed on people or dogs.

So, to answer your question, it is not likely that Angel has contracted Lyme disease.

However, that does not mean you don’t have to worry about ticks.

First, researchers have noted that tick populations are spreading and migrating throughout the United States, and their feeding habits may change. Therefore, the distribution of Lyme disease may change over time.

Also, although Lyme disease gets the most press, remember that ticks spread all sorts of other nasty diseases to humans, cats and dogs. These include rocky mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis, tularemia, Q fever and cytauxzoonosis.

The symptoms of most tick-borne diseases are vague. Affected animals may suffer lethargy, limping, swollen joints, decreased appetite or weight loss. In the later stages of the diseases, multiple types of organ failure may occur.

Veterinarians can run blood tests to check for exposure to the most common tick-borne diseases. I recommend that these tests be run on any pet who has been parasitized by ticks. Most tick-borne diseases can be treated if they are caught early.

The most effective way to prevent tick-borne diseases is to prevent ticks from biting your pet. Several combination flea and tick preventatives are available through veterinarians for at-risk animals.

For more information on the geographic distribution of Lyme disease in people, click here.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Can Any Oral Medication Prevent Ticks, Fleas, and Heartworm
• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
• Why do Pets Twitch When Their Skin is Touched?
• Which Ingredients are Most Likely to Cause Food Allergies in Dogs and Cats?
• Why is it Fair for Dogs, but not Cats, to go Outside?