By | June 13, 2025

How To Avoid Ticks On Dogs

Avoiding ticks on dogs is crucial to protect them from serious tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. Prevention involves a mix of medication, grooming, and environmental control.

🐶 How To Avoid Ticks on Dogs

✅ 1. Use Vet-Approved Tick Preventatives

Choose based on your dog’s age, size, and health:

TypeExamplesProtection Length
Topical TreatmentsFrontline, Advantix1 month
Oral MedicationsNexGard, Bravecto, Simparica1–3 months
Tick CollarsSeresto, Scalibor6–8 months

💡 Ask your vet which is best for your dog’s environment and lifestyle.

✅ 2. Check Your Dog Daily—Especially After Walks

Focus on warm, hidden areas where ticks hide:

  • Ears (inside and behind)
  • Around eyes
  • Under collar
  • Between toes
  • Armpits and groin
  • Base of tail

🖐 Use your hands and eyes to feel for bumps. Ticks can be small as a poppy seed.

✅ 3. Keep Your Yard Tick-Free

  • Mow the lawn regularly
  • Trim tall grasses and shrubs
  • Remove leaf litter and brush piles
  • Place a 3-ft barrier of gravel or wood chips between your yard and wooded areas
  • Treat yard with pet-safe tick sprays or nematodes

✅ 4. Avoid High-Tick Areas

  • Skip tall grass, dense woods, and areas with deer or rodents
  • Stick to clear paths and trails
  • Consider dog boots or a vest in tick-heavy regions

✅ 5. Bathe and Groom Regularly

  • Use a tick-repellent shampoo during bath time
  • Brush your dog’s coat to spot and remove ticks early

✅ 6. Keep Bedding and Indoors Clean

  • Wash dog bedding weekly in hot water
  • Vacuum your home frequently if your dog goes outside
  • Treat the home if ticks are found indoors (consult vet or pest control)

🚫 What NOT to Do

MistakeWhy It’s Risky
Using human tick products on dogsCan be toxic
Skipping checks after outdoor timeMisses early tick bites
Not following dosage instructionsReduces effectiveness or harms dog
Assuming winter means no ticksTicks can survive mild winters

✅ Summary: Tick Prevention for Dogs

StrategyBenefit
Monthly preventativesActively kill/repel ticks
Daily checksEarly detection and removal
Yard maintenanceReduces tick habitats
Regular bathing and groomingHelps spot and wash away ticks
Indoor hygieneStops ticks from spreading indoors