When to Start Flea and Tick Prevention for Your Puppy
Preventative medications and products help your puppy avoid diseases carried by fleas and ticks. Fortunately, you don't have to wait too long to protect your new addition from uncomfortable or potentially devastating diseases.
The Best Time to Start Flea and Tick Prevention
Flea and tick preventative products aren't safe until your puppy is 7 or 8 weeks old, notes the American Kennel Club (AKC). The best age to start flea and tick protection varies depending on the product. For example, you can use K9 Advantix II, a topical monthly product for fleas and ticks, when your pet is 7 weeks old, but must wait until your puppy is 14 weeks old before using Comfortis, a monthly flea prevention tablet, according to the AKC.
Your pet's weight should also be considered in some cases when using flea and tick prevention products. Take Advantage Multi, a topical monthly flea product, for example. The AKC advises that you shouldn't apply the product to your puppy's fur until your pet is 7 weeks old and weighs at least three pounds. Your veterinarian can recommend the safest flea and tick products and suggest the ideal time to start the products.
Wondering what you can do to protect your pet before it's old enough for preventative products? Buy a flea comb and comb through your pet's coat every night. The comb will help you find and remove fleas and also spot ticks. If you do grab a few fleas with the comb, kill the insects by submerging them in soapy water.
Removing ticks is a little more complicated but can be done with tweezers. Follow these steps when removing ticks.
- Put on a pair of latex or rubber gloves.
- Grasp the head of the tick with the ends of the tweezers, being careful not to crush the tick.
- Use gentle, upward pressure and slowly pull the tick out of your puppy's skin.
- Put the tick in a jar filled with rubbing alcohol and close the lid tightly. PetMD recommends keeping the jar for a while, as your veterinarian may want to test the tick if your puppy becomes ill.
If any part of the tick remains in your puppy's body, schedule an appointment with the veterinarian rather than trying to remove the embedded tick yourself.
Why Flea and Tick Prevention Is So Important
Fleas and ticks spread disease when they feed on your pet. If a flea happens to be carrying tapeworm larvae, tapeworms could begin to grow in your pet's small intestines and deprive your puppy of important nutrients. Your puppy could also experience an allergic reaction to flea bites. Constant scratching can cause hair loss and open sores that can become infected as well.
Ticks carry several diseases, including:
- Lyme Disease
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- Hepatozoonosis
Symptoms vary depending on the tick-borne disease but can include fever, fatigue, weight loss, lameness, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, muscle and joint pain, and even death in some cases.
Flea and tick prevention should continue throughout the year, not just in the spring and summer. According to the Cornell University of Veterinary Medicine, fleas are still active when it's 40F outside. Once a flea hitches a ride inside on your puppy or your clothing, it lays eggs that hatch into more fleas in just one to 10 days.
Ticks become dormant during the winter and can live for months without latching on to a person or animal. Unfortunately, even a slight warm-up can increase tick activity. If temperatures rise above freezing for a few days, ticks may emerge from their hiding places and jump onto you or your puppy.
Not sure when to start flea and tick prevention for your puppy? Contact our office to discuss options or schedule an appointment for your pet.
Sources:
American Kennel Club: Flea and Tick Protection for Puppies, 3/26/2024
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/flea-tick-protection-puppies/
PetMD: How to Remove a Tick from a Dog, 5/3/2023
https://www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/how-to-remove-a-tick-from-dog-cat
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine: How to Prepare for Your New Puppy, 2/1/2024
https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet-health-columns/how-to-prepare-for-your-new-puppy/
Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine: Flea and Tick Prevention
American Kennel Club: 11 Flea & Tick Prevention Tips, 3/26/2024
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/flea-and-tick-prevention-tips/
American Kennel Club: Keeping Your Dog Safe During Your State’s Flea & Tick Season, 4/3/2024
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/flea-tick-season/
American Veterinary Medical Association: Safe Use of Flea and Tick Preventive Products
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/safe-use-flea-and-tick-preventive-products