The Well Dog Place

Dr. Ken Tudor Holistic Veterinarian

Dog Tick

Basic Dog Care 13 | Ticks and Dogs

Because of our moderate climate, ticks are virtually always in season in southern California. These blood-sucking pests can be a severe health threat in some parts of the US by spreading viral and bacterial diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme’s disease.

Here in southern California, there is less threat of these diseases but certainly, the discomfort and “ick factor” of having an infestation is not pleasant. Wilderness and nature trails are the most commonplace for your dog to pick up tick passengers.

Can I pull the tick off? What if I leave the head embedded in the skin?

Using tweezers and gently teasing the tick out of the skin is okay. If the head is left behind or even if it isn’t, a mild infection, think pimple, will occur at the bite site and dissolve any tick remnants. Pressing an extinguished hot match to the tick body risks burning your dog’s skin and making a worse problem. Alcohol applied to the area may or may not cause the tick to back out.

The best solution is to apply topically or give orally a flea and tick preventative that will kill the feeding tick and won’t produce any infection. Applying tick-specific essential oils can cause the tick to back out and quit feeding on your dog.

Tick Prevention

Natural products like essential oils will not kill ticks but they are good at repelling ticks and avoiding their penetrating the skin. Unfortunately, these products must be applied to your dog every time they go out to areas infested by ticks

There are many products that kill ticks that are topically applied or given orally. We can help you choose the best one for your dog at her next wellness exam.

Author

Ken Tudor DVM

Dr. Ken Tudor, Holistic Veterinarian

Dr. Ken Tudor is a recognized expert and leader in the field of pet nutrition and fitness. He has developed a pet weight management program and served on the American Animal Hospital Association task force to develop their Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. He is also a frequent guest on the Pet World Insider radio show and a popular guest on the televised Pet Ex Talks-Pet Experts Empowering Pet Parents show.

Basic Dog Care 13 | Ticks and Dogs

Basic Dog Care

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NEW - If you don't live close enough to visit our office...

If you are too far away to see Dr. Tudor in person, but still wish to make your own balanced dog food at home using Dr. Tudor's exclusive nutrient powder, omega 3 oil and recipes, we now offer two options for you:

Healthier Homemade for Dogs

When you need or want custom recipes that are personalized for your fur family, our sister site Healthier Homemade can help you out. Because this service is remote, we are unable to give medical advice or diagnosis, so we work with your veterinarian to make sure your fur family is well cared for.

At Healthier Homemade, we offer Medical Recipe Programs for 14 different conditions. See them in detail here.

There are an assortment of recipe formulations for dogs with diagnosed Food Allergies. They include, High Protein, Instant, and Economy options.

If you have all Normal Adult Dogs in your fur family and wish to have more control over the formulations of your recipes, we offer Economy, Instant, High Protein, and Ultra-High Protein (including a few all meat options).

With all of our custom recipes you may include up to 4 dogs (with the same health profile) and you may choose cooking frequency from every day to once a week. We do all the math, we even calculate serving size for each dog! We also have detailed tutorials for each step of cooking, mixing, and storing.

Hearthstone Homemade for Dogs

If you are an experienced cook, like flexibility, have a normal adult dog, and just need general guidelines, Hearthstone may be right for you. Before purchasing a Starter Kit, you can see a complete list of ingredient options that can be used.

Our EZ Meal Planner gives you a great starting point. You still get to pick out wholesome ingredients at the grocery store and you still get "The Well Dog Nutrient Powder" to make sure your dogs' meals are balanced.

The Getting Started page gives you a great road map for what you need to equip your kitchen, preparation, transitioning to a new food, and more.