Tick protection for dogs and cats is an important issue for pet owners in spring and summer. Proper tick protection helps the animal to fend off ticks when running, hunting and playing outdoors, and thus also makes it much more relaxed from a pet owner's perspective. Nevertheless, tick checks should be carried out at least once a day during the warmer months of the year, ideally after every long stay outdoors. There are few tasks that are more unpleasant for humans and animals than having to remove a full tick from a dog or cat. In addition, there is of course an increased risk of illness from a tick bite. Tick protection is therefore essential for a carefree summer.
Tick protection for dogs: the first step is vaccination
The first preventive measure for tick protection in dogs is the Lyme disease vaccination. This is caused by bacteria that the tick transmits to the host animal with its bite. A vaccination helps the dog's immune system to be prepared for this threat. The puppy can be vaccinated against Lyme disease for the first time from the age of twelve weeks, and a second dose a few weeks later completes the basic immunization. If this series of vaccinations is carried out in the spring, a booster should be given in the autumn. An annual booster vaccination is then recommended.
By the way: Cats do not need to be vaccinated against Lyme disease, their immune system is naturally immune. TBE infections are also extremely rare in cats. Nevertheless, cats should not be skimped on tick protection, as such a bite can still cause inflammation. Live ticks can also fall off the cat and look for another host animal in the household - be it a dog, a human or another pet.
Tick protection: what remedies are available?
There are various methods that can be used to protect your pet from ticks. Grooming and checking for ticks should definitely be mentioned first, because regular inspections ensure that the little pests cannot bite in the first place. Feeding your pet can also help protect it from ticks. For example, black cumin oil or garlic tablets are said to help keep ticks away.
Treatment with ZeckEx takes a slightly different approach to tick protection. This contains both black cumin oil and coconut oil and is usually applied rather than fed. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has a repelling effect on ticks above a certain concentration. Alternatively, the ZeckEx mixture with coconut, black cumin, sunflower and hemp oil is also available in the BARF shop for feeding in small quantities. If you want to be sure that ticks and the like stay away from your pet, you should check whether one of the other methods is also worthwhile in addition to regular examinations. For example, giving food oil can easily be integrated into BARF in summer .
No matter how you protect your dog or cat from ticks, we wish you a safe and tick-free summer - so that you can play and relax outside with your dog or cat without worry.
