When it comes to dog tick control there are no sure ways to defeat the problem, no shortcuts and the battle is an on-going struggle. Controlling ticks is a process that involves two steps. There are certain measures that must be implemented in order to get rid of the ticks in the environment and control them on the pet. Ticks are surprisingly easy to kill despite their ugliness and many legs.
Tick Control in the Environment
Your first attack to the problem of ticks is to control them in the environment. This generally involves somehow removing their habitat. You should remove leaves and clear away any brush and tall grass around your kennel or house; wherever your dog may roam. It is also important to note that certain animals are carriers for the pests; deer, rodents and other such animals harbor ticks and controlling these animals is imperative to controlling the ticks in your dog's environment.
There are also some environmentally safe and pet-friendly sprays that can be used around the yard or kennel areas that can help greatly in reducing the number of ticks in the environment. During the peak months of tick population you should spray about once every thirty days; April through November. Even if your spray is environmentally friendly, you should still take precautions not to use it where run-off could enter the water via a lake or stream.
If you are faced with the problem of indoor ticks, use a fogger as you would for a flea infestation. You could also opt to use an insecticide near the walls on the lower portions of your walls as ticks cannot jump or fly. Wash your dog's bedding on a regular basis, as well.
Tick Control on Your Dog
There a numerous products available in many different forms for help with the problem of ticks. You can use sprays, powders, topical products, dips, shampoos or collars.
A once-a-month topical would be applied to the back of your dog in a small area; this type of product is easy to use and lasts the longest. A spray to control fleas and ticks would come as an aerosol or a pump. You do not have to completely soak your dog with it for it to be effective; for applying the product around the eyes and ears you'll want to spray a bit on a cotton swab and rub it on. A powder is easy to apply but may cause a bit of a mess; you should not use a powder if you pet has asthma and always use powders in well-ventilated areas.
A dip is applied to the entire animal and will have some residual activity. You should take care not to get any of it into your dog's eyes or ears; you can use cotton balls to close your dog's ears and use an ophthalmic ointment in the eyes. Shampoos are generally for dogs that already have ticks. A collar should be placed snuggly around the dog's neck and you should cut off any excess. Many collars will lose their effectiveness if they've gotten wet; check your packaging for the duration information.