During the warm months of the year there is a risk that your dog will be bitten by ticks. The small parasites sit in bushes or grass and often attack your dog unnoticed while walking.
As a rule, the tick season in UK extends from about February to October. At mild temperatures above seven degrees, ticks can also be active in winter.
In the following we will explain why tick infestation is a danger for dogs and how you react correctly in case of tick bites.
Ticks are small parasites that feed on the blood of their host animals. Of course, the tiny amounts they ingest are not a problem for your dog.
However, ticks can also carry dangerous pathogens and transfer them to the four-legged friend during the sucking process. For this reason you should not underestimate the risk of tick bites for your dog.
An infection with diseases such as babesiosis, ehrlichiosis or Lyme disease often has fatal consequences for dogs. If ticks bite your dog, you should therefore immediately provide first aid and remove the parasites professionally.
If your dog has been bitten by a tick, this is no reason to panic. Most pathogens need several hours to be transmitted to the four-legged friend. Therefore, keep calm and remove the parasite as quickly as possible.
In order to minimise the risk of infection from the tick bite, it is important that you completely remove the tick from your dog. If the head remains stuck, pathogens can still get into the organism of the four-legged friend.
In addition, the tick bite can lead to redness, swelling and inflammation in your dog. If you do not have the confidence to remove the tick correctly, you should consult a veterinarian to be on the safe side.
By the way, ticks rarely bite immediately. Usually, they first look for a suitable place on the body for their blood meal. By searching your dog thoroughly after going for a walk, you can often remove the annoying bloodsuckers before the tick bite.
Of course, it is best to avoid tick bites on your dog as much as possible. With a suitable tick repellent, you can significantly reduce the risk of parasite infestation and a possible infection with various serious diseases.
However, before you decide on a tick repellent for dogs, it is worth taking a closer look at the active ingredients. It is not unusual for preparations against parasites to contain acaricides.
Such neurotoxins may kill ticks. However, they do not reduce the risk of infection with Lyme disease and other diseases if the parasite has already stung. In addition, such a nerve poison also poses a serious risk to your dog's health.
In order to avoid health problems, we advise you to use Bellfor ZEComplete for prophylaxis. The natural tick repellent for dogs contains insect fat from the larvae of the black soldier fly and other oils with a high content of lauric acid.
Lauric acid has a proven deterrent effect on ticks and is therefore the ideal safe alternative to most conventional tick repellents. Take advantage of Bellfor ZEComplete Spray, ZEComplete Biscuits or Soft Bites and rely on purely natural products without chemicals when it comes to ticks.