Tick Prevention
Preventing ticks from biting your pet is the best defence against tick-borne disease. Although there are a number of tick-control products available, some may take a few days to kill any attached ticks. In addition, ticks may still attach to treated animals. Regardless of the type of product used, any ticks (even when dead) should be removed safely with fine-pointed tweezers or a tick-removal tool (available from BADA-UK) as soon as they are discovered. See our guide to safe tick removal.
Grooming
When grooming your pet, make sure that you search thoroughly for any attached ticks as they can be very tiny (less than 1mm), even when fully engorged. Brush against, as well as with, the hair-growth to see any ticks that are close to the skin.
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Check around and inside the ears, around the eyes, on the chin and around the muzzle, as well as between pads and toes.
Grooming Horses & Ponies
Ticks will not only latch on to a horse's legs, as it walks through vegetation, but they will also latch on to the head as it grazes. From there they will look for a spot that is secure and where they are unlikely to be dislodged.
Grooming horses and ponies can be a good time to check for ticks. Pay particular attention to areas such as under the mane, around the poll, on and inside the ears, and around the nostrils and the muzzle. Check the legs thoroughly, particularly around the fetlocks and chestnuts. The breast, abdomen and flanks should also be well examined, as well as the buttocks and the dock of the tail.
Equine Tick Hotspots
Tick Control Products
There are currently 5 products that are licensed in the UK for tick control on companion animals:
Safety Precautions
All of these products must only be used on healthy animals and under veterinary guidance. Some products that are suitable for use on one type of animal can be harmful to others, causing acute illness and even death. Some products may also be unsuitable for use with pregnant or nursing animals. Always read the manufacturers' instructions carefully before applying any product to your pet.
Tick- and flea-control products that are sold over the counter in pet shops and supermarkets often contain Permethrin, which is extremely harmful to cats. It can cause Feline Permethrin Toxicosis, which is potentially fatal. Cases of poisoning most commonly occur when people mistakenly use a product that is intended for dogs on their cat. Poisoning can also occur when the cat comes into contact with treated carpets, other soft furnishings and pet bedding. Sometimes cross-contamination occurs when a cat has close contact with a treated dog.
Some product ingredients may be dangerous to aquatic organisms. Check the manufacturers' instructions before letting your pet come into contact with water.
Natural alternatives
Some people prefer not to use chemical-based products on their pets. In some cases, the animal has an allergy to the active ingredients in these products. In either case, without using an alternative, the animal remains unprotected.
There are a number of herbal products on the market. However, most of these products have not received the rigorous trials that licensed products have, which is largely due to the costs involved. It is therefore important that pet owners thoroughly research any products that they consider using. Many herbal products can be toxic to varying degrees. Just because the products says it is "all natural", it doesn't mean that it is safe.
We try to source and research products that contain effective but safe ingredients. Please see our product range for our current list of alternatives.
