Dog Guide

In the Home
Dog Guide » Caring »

Fighting Fleas and Ticks

Prevent Nasty Bugs

To remove a tick from your dog's skin, pull it straight out with tweezers.

More Topics

Ticks

To remove a tick from your dog's skin, pull it straight out with tweezers, or put on rubber gloves and use your thumb and forefinger. Don't twist the tick. Its mouth, which is attached under the skin, might snap right off. If this happens, infection will follow unless you visit your vet to have the rest of the tick removed. Avoid touching any of the fluids.

Flea Control Products
Fleas can be tough to fight once they spread onto your pet and into your home. The products below can help relieve the problem and keep fleas at bay.

Product/ Category	How/ Where Is It Applied?	Is It Toxic?	How Does It Work?
Flea comb	Groom dog, drop fleas into soapy water	No	Removes adult fleas and eggs
d-Limonene	Removes adult fleas and eggs	No	Poisons adult fleas and larvae
Imidacloprid	Apply liquid to fur on dog's back	No	Poisons adult fleas
Lufenuron	Add liquid to food, or inject	No	Interferes with development of flea eggs and larvae
Insect growth regulators	Apply to dog, environment	Nontoxic to somewhat toxic	Interferes with development of flea eggs and larvae
Diatomaceous earth	Sprinkle in environment	Somewhat	Dehydrates adult fleas
Borax	Sprinkle in environment	Somewhat	Poisons adult fleas
Fipronil	Apply liquid to fur on dog's back	Somewhat	Poisons adult fleas
Pyrethrins, permethrins	Apply to dog, environment	Yes	Poisons adult fleas and their larvae
Carbamates	Spray on dog, environment	Very	Poisons adult fleas and their larvae
Organo-phosphates	Spray on dog, environment	Very	Poisons adult fleas and their larvae