With livestock guardian dogs living outside with other farm animals, they’re more likely to encounter parasites like fleas or ticks. They are an easy target for illnesses caused by a small tick or mosquito bite you may not even see.
Follow this guide to find out whether a collar, oral chewable, natural, or prescription is safe and the best flea and tick prevention for dogs.
Why We Use Flea and Tick Prevention
In Oklahoma, where we live, we enjoy the warmth and beauty of springtime. But we always say that springtime brings tornados and ticks.
Our livestock guardian dog, Bear, came down with a terrible illness. He had a fever and a limp. We took him to the vet, and they tested his blood. He had Ehrlichia, one tick-borne illness similar to the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Ticks are usually dormant in the winter months, but Bear showed signs of illness in the winter. We learned that diseases from tick bites can also lie dormant. Bear most likely was bit by a tick in late fall but didn’t show signs of illness for a few weeks.
We ended up putting Bear on a 21-day antibiotic. To get him to take the antibiotic, we wrapped the pills in cheese and placed them on the ground in front of him. He recovered fully, but his treatment was expensive and time-consuming.
It’s important to note that we are not accredited veterinarians, and this post is not intended to diagnose or treat but is for informational purposes only. Please contact your animal care professional before introducing new practices into your animal’s wellness routine.
Do Dogs Really Need Flea and Tick Medicine?
Dog flea and tick prevention should be taken seriously. And really, all dogs that spend any time outdoors need flea and tick medicine, particularly in areas of the United States where fleas and ticks are prevalent.
The brown dog tick is one of the most common types worldwide. It’s super hardy and prefers dogs to other animal hosts. Brown dog ticks carry diseases that can harm dogs and humans, like Lyme disease.
The tick-borne disease, Ehrlichia, was brutal for our dog. We don’t want our dogs to experience another preventable disease if we can help it. So, we use an aggressive prevention plan.
Fleas are equally disturbing. They can cause discomfort for your animals. Fleas leave behind flea dirt and can quickly increase in number spreading to other animals and infesting your home.
Effective Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs
There are a lot of flea and tick products out there. Choosing a product can be hard if you’re a new owner of a livestock guardian dog. We like to share what has worked for us in hopes it will help build your confidence and save you some time.
We use two types of flea and tick prevention that also helps prevent lice. K-9 Advantix II can be popular, but we use Bravecto Chew Pills, Seresto flea, and tick collars.
These are not cheap treatments, but if dogs get a disease from a tick, the vet bills will be far more expensive than the cost of the preventative measures.
We find this more aggressive approach works great for our livestock guardian dogs. They’re outside all the time with farm animals, and they encounter wild animals. It’s well worth the cost to prevent our animals from getting sick.
Bravecto Chew for Dogs
Bravecto Chew Pills are an easy-to-administer oral tick prevention product. We give our dogs Bravecto chewable pills with a treat every 12 weeks.
Pro-Tip: Pay attention to the dosage. Make sure you are dosing for the correct weight of your dog.
Bravecto Chews prevent fleas and ticks, kills adult fleas before they lay eggs, and protect against the brown dog tick. We give this prevention medicine to all our dogs, including our house dog.
It can be expensive, so shop around. We ordered our last round of Bravecto through canadapetcare.com. They offered a good price, but it took a long time to ship because it had to go through customs.
Seresto Flea and Tick Collars
Seresto collars are simple collars that you put around your dog’s neck. They’re a topical flea and tick treatment similar to a tick spot treatment.
The collar continuously releases preventative ingredients absorbed through your dog’s skin, killing fleas and ticks immediately.
The collar protects against fleas, ticks, and chewing lice. It also controls sarcoptic mange in dogs. It provides flea prevention for eight months and tick prevention for four months.
Seresto collars need to be secured tightly on the neck for the medicine to penetrate through the fur to the skin. You should only be able to fit two fingers between the collar and your dog’s neck.
Pro-Tip: Make sure you purchase the correct size collar for your dog to receive the appropriate dosing of ingredients. The collars are safe and have an easy-release function if the collar gets caught on something.
We don’t recommend Seresto collars if small children will be interacting with your dog. There is poison on the collar that you shouldn’t touch. It could cause a rash, skin irritation, or other issues if children touch or ingest the ingredients on the collar.
