Tick Season Alert! Veterinarians Share Tips to Protect Your Dogs and Cats From Diseases

Indian tick season peaks between March and October, matching summer and monsoon. The brown dog tick and Haemaphysalis tick are the most prevalent ticks in India, feeding on dogs and cats outdoors.

Ticks emerge from their dormant state as the temperature and moisture increases with the arrival of spring. It poses a serious threat to our pets - dogs and cats. Preventing tick infestation is vital for their health since they can cause a myriad of diseases, leading to chronic anaemia, paralysis, or worse!

The tick season in India peaks between March and October, perfectly aligning with the Indian summer and monsoon seasons. The most common ticks in India are the brown dog tick and theHaemaphysalis tick that thrive almost everywhere - and latch onto dogs and even cats during their outdoor ventures.

Prevention always begins with environmental measures - 

Keep your garden and lawn either grass-free or trim them every week. Use natural tick-repellants to eliminate ticks. Avoid taking your pets through tall grass and unkept land where ticks can hide easily.

Next, you need to protect your pet. From chews to spot-ons, there are tens of options in the market. However, you need to pick a tick prevention method that is suitable for your pet as per their age, health, lifestyle and species.

Please note, tick protection for dogs and cats are not interchangeable. For direct protection, consult your veterinarian for pet-safe products.

Topical spot-on treatments, such as fipronil or selamentin solutions, create a barrier that kills ticks on contact. Oral medications like isoxazolines provide systemic protection, killing ticks after they bite but before disease transmission. On the other hand, tick collars offer long-lasting defense, up to eight months, ideal for active dogs.

For cats, use cat-specific products only to avoid toxicity. For example - permethrin can be highly toxic to cats.

After outings, inspect your pet's coat, ears, paws, and groin for ticks. Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove attached ticks by grasping close to the skin and pulling steadily to avoid leaving the mouth parts on your pet.

Indoor pets require tick protection as well. There are no vaccines or immunity boosting products that can avoid tick-borne diseases in dogs and cats, at least in India. Ticks can hitchhike on your shoes and clothing, so year-round prevention is key.

Ticks are threats to the health of dogs and cats across the world. The rigorous use of preventives along with regular grooming are the only ways to keep your pet safe. Your veterinarian might recommend a combination of more than one product to ensure maximum protection to your pet depending on their lifestyle.

-By Dr. Abhishek Choudhary, Consultant Veterinarian, Vetic