Fleas and ticks are life-threatening. It is never enough to adopt preventive measures. Ensuring your puppy is tick-free is meticulous prevention, checking, and treatment task.
It becomes more critical if your fur buddy is either a puppy or a senior. In both stages, dogs tend to have a weak immune system, and they often react adversely to infection and heavy medication.
In this article, we will help you understand how to protect your senior dogs from fleas and ticks.
Keep in mind that, sadly enough, humans can also get ticks. Be sure to read about tick prevention for humans.
How to Protect Senior Dogs from Fleas and Ticks
Harsh Chemical Treatments – A No-No
It’s important to understand that once a dog crosses the age of 8-9 years, they are past their prime. This means they not only need special treatment in terms of daily care, but their medication also needs to be suitable for their aging bodies. While a young 3-4-year-old pooch can handle the side effects of strong potent flea medication, a senior dog might fall prey to it and land up getting sick.
This is precisely why the market is laden with multiple natural dog flea and tick prevention options such as PetCareRX, diatomaceous earth, and herbal shampoos that control fleas and ticks without causing harm to your pooch. Check for products that use apple cider vinegar, lemongrass, and citronella as ingredients. They are safe for elderly dogs and are potent repellents of fleas and ticks.
Regular Blood Tests
Like old humans, senior dogs need regular check-ups to ensure their health is fine. Many flea and tick-related diseases don’t show any symptoms until the last stage, and by then, it’s almost the end, and nothing can be done.
Based on the life your dog has the lead, it’s important to understand their immune system. Because most senior dogs have compromised immune systems, they are often prone to vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis. Most tick-borne diseases can be fought off by administering pet medications when diagnosed at the right time.
Failing appetite, weakness, or disinterest in playful stimuli demand immediate blood work that checks explicitly for flea and tick-borne diseases, says PetMD.
Be Gentle
With age, much like people, dogs tend to lose their patience. Elderly dogs are often disinterested in a lot of cuddling or playing, and they prefer to spend time napping in a quiet corner. Please understand that this is normal with age. When applying flea and tick medication, try and respect your dog’s need for space.
Your pooch will give you enough warning if they don’t like something. Be gentle, assertive where required, and read the signs to make sure medication and bath time are not during an unwanted time of the day.
Try and Use Mild Shampoos
Many flea and tick shampoos are chemical-laden and irritate your dog’s skin. If your dog is unnecessarily snapping during the application of a particular shampoo, refrain from using it. That’s the only way they can tell you if something is wrong. To avoid situations like these, stick to shampoos and cleansers that use natural ingredients. Check out herbal and organic pet products with natural essential oils rather than their chemical counterparts.