Tick Protection for Dogs – 5 Things to Consider

This post is sponsored by BRAVECTO® (Fluralaner) and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share information about BRAVECTO. But we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Neither Intervet Inc., nor Merck & Co Inc., are responsible for the content of this article and have not written, reviewed, or edited it in any fashion. For more information about BRAVECTO, please click here.

Tick protection for dogs is not something to mess with. We can't drive that point home enough. Once you make the decision to welcome a pet into your family, it's your responsibility to take care of them. A huge part of that is flea and tick prevention. As we have said many times, fleas and ticks are more than just a nuisance. They transmit disease, and can make the pet and the humans sick. Prevention is key.

So, how do you choose the right flea and tick protection for dogs? The first thing to do is talk with your vet, but here are some other things to consider.

5 Things to Think of When Choosing Tick Protection for Dogs

1. Personality – What type of personality does your dog have? For us, each one of our dogs is highly food motivated. When a tasty chew is involved, they beg for their monthly preventatives. If it involves applying something to their skin — they hide.
2. Age – Puppies require different preventatives than older dogs in most cases. Be sure to talk to your vet before giving a puppy anything. It can be tempting to put all your dogs on the same thing but definitely check with your vet first.
3. Size – Similar to age, you want to make sure your tick protection for dogs is the proper dosage. Every time we go to the vet, our dogs are weighed. Sometimes one pound can bump them into a different box of prevention. My vet is extremely mindful of this, making me know that it's not something to mess with.
4. Activity – Is your dog hiking in the wilderness with you? Do they love to run in your yard and roll in gross things like mine? Are they couch potatoes but go outside to go potty? Guess what? All of these levels of activity need flea and tick prevention. I've heard people say, “My dog rarely goes outside, so they don't need protection.” I truly believe that's a gamble. Unless your dog is doing his business in your house, or you live in the Arctic somewhere, I think you're better off giving them monthly protection.
5. Hobbies – This goes with activity, but I wanted to separate it. What does your dog do in his free time? (LOL) I thought about this the other day watching our three guys. None of our dogs are restricted from any area in the house. This means they lay on couches, beds, our pillows, and anywhere they please! If you give that too much thought, you will seriously gross yourself out. All the more reason to take all the precaution against fleas and ticks.

Ask your vet about BRAVECTO. BRAVECTO is a tasty chew that provides protection from fleas and ticks for up to 12 weeks*. It also starts killing fleas within 2 hours and kills 100% of fleas within 12 hours. *Bravecto kills fleas, prevents flea infestations, and kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks. Bravecto also kills lone start ticks for 8 weeks. Go to Bravecto.com for full prescribing information.

Stay social with BRAVECTO on Facebook, Twitter, and their mobile app.

Get your tick protection for dogs in order so you can go back to enjoying them. These little creatures bring us so much joy, but always remember that they are living beings that require care. Do your part to keep them as healthy as possible and you'll have a wonderful companion for years to come.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published. However, it remains the responsibility of the readers to familiarize themselves with the product information contained on the USA product label or package. More product information is available here.