I use NEXGARD but these 6 alternative chewable, topical, collar and all natural tick preventatives may be right for you and your dog.
TICK PREVENTATIVES
- SORESTO COLLAR
- ADVANTIX II
- REVOLUTION
- BRAVECTO
- NEXGARD
- FRONTLINE PLUS
- PERMETHRIN
- ESSENTIAL OILS
PHOTO: SERESTO COLLAR
SERESTO COLLAR
The biggest name in tick prevention when it comes to a collar form. Tons of people swear by them, stating they hadn’t had problems since they started using them. Some have reported open sores on the neck that develop from the collar, and some won’t use them because of how water active their dogs are.
- Age – Puppies, 7 weeks or older.
- Water resistant – If your dog swims, gets wet, or has a bath more than once a month, the 8-month lifespan of the Seresto collar flea protection is reduced to 5 months, and tick coverage is reduced to 7 months.
- How it works – Kills existing fleas on dogs within 24 hours after application. Infestation prevention with new ticks starts within 48 hours.
- What it works on – Effective against Deer ticks, American dog ticks, Brown dog ticks, Lone Star ticks, fleas, and chewing lice.
- Odorless
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Rarely, mild application site reactions may occur, such as scratching, redness, and hair loss, which usually recover within 1-2 weeks without the need for collar removal. In some cases, temporary collar removal and bathing may be recommended until symptoms have disappeared. In sporadic cases, application site reactions, such as dermatitis, inflammation, eczema or lesions may occur.
PHOTO: K9 ADVANTIX II
K9 ADVANTIX II
A very popular topical parasiticide choice for tick coverage is the K9 ADVANTIX II. Its topical prevention repels and kills all types of nasties.
- Age – Puppies, 7 weeks or older.
- Effective against Deer Ticks, American dog ticks, Brown dog ticks, and Lone Star ticks.
- Waterproof – Remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight.
- Monthly treatments are required; Good for 30 days per 1 tube of treatment.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Monitor your dog after application, Side effects, although very rare, may include signs of skin irritation such as redness, scratching, or other signs of discomfort. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea have also been reported.
REVOLUTION
Revolution is a topical parasiticide that is applied to the skin requiring veterinarian prescription.
- Age – Puppies, 6 weeks or older
- Effective against American dog ticks only, ear mites, fleas, and heartworm.
- Waterproof and remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight.
- Monthly treatments are required; 1 tube of treatment is good for 30 days.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most common is hair loss at the site of application with or without inflammation (redness, flaking) Other side effects reported include vomiting, diarrhea with or without blood, anorexia (decreased appetite), lethargy (sluggishness), salivation, rapid breathing, pruritus (itching), urticaria (welts, hives), erythema (skin redness), ataxia (incoordination), fever and rare instances of death. There have also been rare reports of seizures in dogs.
Bravecto
A popular chewable tablet used for the treatment and prevention of ticks requiring veterinarian prescription.
- Age – Puppies, 8 weeks or older.
- Effective against black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick for 3 months and kills lone star ticks for 2 months
- Waterproof – Remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight.
- Administered every 12 weeks, protects against most fleas and ticks for 3 months.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Commonly observed adverse reactions in clinical trials were mild and transient gastrointestinal effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, inappetence, and drooling. Convulsions and lethargy have been reported very rarely.
NexGard
A popular chewable tablet used for the treatment and prevention of ticks requiring veterinarian prescription.
- Age – Puppies, 8 weeks or older.
- Effective against black-legged tick, American dog ticks, Brown dog ticks, and Lone Star ticks.
- Waterproof – Remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight.
- Administered every 4 weeks for continued tick prevention.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most frequently reported adverse reactions were vomiting, dry skin, and diarrhea. The occurrence of vomiting was generally self-limiting and of short duration and tended to decrease with subsequent doses. Five treated dogs experienced anorexia during the study, and two of those dogs suffered anorexia with the first dose but not subsequent treatments.
PHOTO: FRONTLINE PLUS
FRONTLINE PLUS
A topical preventative repelling and killing ticks at any stage of their lifecycle.
- Age – Puppies, 8 weeks or older.
- Effective against black-legged tick, American dog ticks, Brown dog ticks, and Lone Star ticks.
- Waterproof – Remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight.
- Administered every month for tick protections.
PHOTO: SAWYER SPRAY PERMETHRIN
PERMETHERIN
Permethrin is used for 6 weeks at a time or for 6 washings, whichever comes first. After being applied to a garment, let it thoroughly dry. At this point, the Permetherin has bonded to clothing and backpack material. This will kill over 55 different bugs. This shouldn’t be your only form of tick prevention but is a great add-on to other forms to give it a boost.
ESSENTIAL OILS
Some people will swear by essential oils, where others don’t have the same success. You may want to give it a try to see how it works on your dog in your local environment. You can use them on hiking garments or a bandanna. Remember, essential oil used on dogs goes a long way. Too much essential oil can be just as harmful to your dog as other products; tread carefully.
TICK-BORNE DISEASE
Why should I use a tick preventative? These 8 Tick-Borne diseases will change your mind!
- ANAPLASMA
- BABESIOSIS
- BARTONELLA
- EHRLICHIOSIS
- HEPATOZOONOSIS
- LYME DISEASE
- ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER
- TICK PARALYSIS
ANAPLASMA
- LOCATION: New England and North Central US
- CAUSE: Black-legged ticks and deer ticks transmits bacteria
- TRANSMISSION TIME: 16 hours
- SYMPTOMS: Pain, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and nervous system disorders
- TREATMENT: Antibiotics
BABESIOSIS
- LOCATION: Southern US
- CAUSE: Tick transmits protozoan, protozoan attaches to red blood cells with your dog causing anemia
- TRANSMISSION TIME: 24 – 48 hours
- SYMPTOMS: Pale gums, dark urine, fever, and swollen lymph nodes
- TREATMENT: Antibiotics
BARTONELLA
- LOCATION: Western US
- CAUSE: Tick transmits an organism that attacks red blood cells, causing anemia
- TRANSMISSION TIME: 24 hours
- SYMPTOMS: Anemia, making your dog becomes very weak.
- TREATMENT: Antibiotics must be given for several weeks and could lead to a transfusion
EHRLICHIOSIS
- LOCATION: Southeastern and the south-central US
- CAUSE: Brown dog tick and Lone Star Tick transmit the organism
- TRANSMISSION TIME: 24 – 48 hours
- SYMPTOMS: Reduced appetite, fever, stiff and pain in the joints.
- TREATMENT: Antibiotics
HEPATOZOONOSIS
- LOCATION: South East / Central US
- CAUSE: By dogs eating Gulf Coast Ticks.
- SYMPTOMS: High fever, pain, stiffness, weight loss, loss of appetite, and discharge from the eyes.
- TREATMENT: Anti-parasitic drugs, along with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. Follow-up treatment can often last yearly
LYME DISEASE
- LOCATION: Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, and North-Central US
- CAUSE: Deer tick transmits bacteria
- TRANSMISSION TIME: 48 hours
- SYMPTOMS: Lameness, fever, swollen lymph nodes, the development of kidney disease, heart conditions, or nervous system disorders.
- TREATMENT: Antibiotics (vaccine for Lyme Disease)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER
- LOCATION: Midwest, Eastern and plains areas of the US
- CAUSE: American dog tick and the Rocky Mountain spotted fever tick transmits organism.
- TRANSMISSION TIME: 5 hours
- SYMPTOMS: Fever, reduced appetite, pain, lameness, vomiting, and diarrhea, development of heart abnormalities, pneumonia, kidney failure, liver damage, or neurological disorders
- TREATMENT: Antibiotics
TICK PARALYSIS
- LOCATION: Pacific Northwest & Rocky Mountain States
- CAUSE: Ticks secrete toxins affecting the dog’s nervous system
- TRANSMISSION TIME: 24 hours.
- SYMPTOMS: Difficulty breathing, swallowing, and becomes weak in the legs. If left untreated, could result in death
- TREATMENT: Antitoxin
TRAIL TAILS
I use Nexgard combined with Heartgard. Liberty loves the chewable, and she’s never reacted. This combination knocks out ticks, fleas, and heartworm. We used to use Bravecto, but one day I was reading the box, and I realized in tiny print, it said it was effective against all ticks for 3 months and the Lonestar tick for only two months. I decide to switch at that point. I don’t mind the once a month upkeep, it’s not that much of a hassle, plus I buy them from my vet 6 months at a time to get a bit of a discount.
Pro Tip: When I find a tick latched onto myself, I will generally take a picture of it, this way I can see if there has been any change post-bite. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when you look at the changes occur gradually.
I’ve pulled my fair share of ticks off of myself and Liberty. I usually find them within a few hours, because I love to take breaks and pet my puppy, catching a bloodsucker sooner than later. If I don’t have time to stop, I will do quick tick hot spot checks. This is where I check the inside of the ears, armpits, groin, etc. These are softer areas, and I often find ticks latching on there.
If this article was helpful, please share it. There are a ton of dogs out there that need tick and flea advice! As always, click any of the product pictures to get a current price on Amazon. Leave a comment below, tell us what tick preventative you decided to go with and why. If I missed something, let me know as well, so I can add it into the post.
