Q. I found a tiny tick imbedded in the belly of my basset with a red ring around it. He takes trifexis monthly and need to know if he needs a v…

ANSWER : A. It will fall of by itself in a couple of days. You can take them off yourself but you need to be careful not to leave the head and mouth parts in. You can buy tick removers. But if worried it will fall off by itself.

ANSWER : A. Your question is a good one, and unfortunately the answers are going to differ based on who you ask. Many vets are seeing resistance to Frontline, which has been the go-to product for many of us for many years. It contains the active ingredient Fipronil, which is very safe and typically extremely effective. I use it on my dogs and never see fleas or ticks. However other vets will tell you in their areas, for whatever reason, they are seeing fleas and ticks on dogs and cats on which this product was used.

Another reason opinions differ is that some people like to give an oral product, and some like to put a topical product directly on the skin. That’s a matter of personal preference mostly. Bravecto, as mentioned below, is one of those products. Most people find it safe and effective. It uses a different process that Frontline to kill fleas and ticks.

In general the products you buy over-the-counter are likely going to be less expensive and less effective than what you get from a vet. I think the reason is that the more expensive products contain newer insecticides, and likely less resistance to these products has built up in the flea and tick population but also they are maybe less “proven”, so it’s important for a vet to be involved in the use of the product in order to ensure that there won’t be a negative reaction to using it.

If I lived in an area where there was Lyme disease (in the US that’s the northeast and upper midwest) I’d most definitely add a tick collar to my standard oral or topical flea and tick prevention. AND I’d search both of my dogs everyday for ticks. It’s because nothing you buy will be 100% effective, and Lyme disease can be a very serious problem.

If you want to talk further and talk more specifically about where you live and what products you’re considering, I’d be happy to do a consult with you. Nobody here is paid to recommend products, but we do develop preferences based on what we use on our own pets and in our practices.

ANSWER : A. If you mean the ticks are embedded deeply in the skin, you can use a pair of tweezers to gently remove the tick. If the head becomes detached, most healthy bodies will push the head out of the skin naturally over a period of time. Using Vaseline over the tick can also sometimes cause it to back out on its own and be removed. Getting your dog on a monthly flea and tick preventative can help prevent future ticks from hopping on, also, if you are in an area where tick-borne disease are a problem it is always a good idea to have any tick bites examined by your local veterinarian.

If you mean the ticks were eaten, they will most likely pass through your dog without problem. However if you suspect there is an issue, your vet should take a look.

ANSWER : A. For every flea you see on your pet, there are 100 more in the environment. Get your pet on a good topical or oral flea control through your vet. In flea control, you get what you pay for. Consider asking your vet for a dose of Capstar. It helps get the problem under control by killing the fleas on the pet starting in five minutes but only lasts for 24 hours.

You need to treat your home environment. If you use a pest control service, tell them you are having a flea problem and they can adjust their treatment. Use a premise spray that also contains an IGR, insect growth regulator. This keeps eggs and larvae from maturing into adults and helps break the life cycle. Also, vacuum EVERY DAY, throwing out the bag or emptying the canister every time into an outside receptacle and spraying the contents with insecticide to kill the fleas you’ve vacuumed up.

Treat your yard too, since fleas are opportunistic and will hop a ride into your home on your pant leg without you knowing it. Concentrate on areas under bushes, in the shade. Fleas are less likely to be located in open sunny areas where it gets hot.

If chemicals are a problem, you can use borax. Sprinkle it into rugs, into corners and under furniture, use a broom to work it into the fibers and let it sit for hours, days even. It won’t hurt you or your pet to have it present. Then vacuum it up, reapply as needed. Food grade diatomaceous earth can be gotten from a health food store and worked into the rugs and corners in the same way as borax. These treatments aren’t as fast and effective as chemical insecticides but they can help.

You might want to consider boarding your pet for the day at your vet, to give you the opportunity to flea bomb your house without having to worry about your pet being exposed. They can bathe your pet and give a dose of Capstar while you treat your home.

Be patient, you may have to repeat these steps multiple times 10-14 days apart to help break the flea life cycle.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly.

In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin.

Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle.

If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic.

Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill’s Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help.

If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

ANSWER : A. Redness or irritation can be caused by a number of things including yeast infections as you mentioned, but can also be caused by allergies to the environment, or even cold or hot weather. Dogs with short fur can often get sunburns on the skin, and the cold may also irritate or cause redness when outdoors. Allergies to pollens or other outdoor allergens may also cause redness on the body or nose. An allergy medication from your vet is usually all that is needed to clear this up.

If the redness is happening just when outside, it may also be that your dog is digging or nosing around in something that is irritating. It may be a good idea to watch your dog a few times while he is outside to see if there is anything he enjoys exploring. The redness could just be irritation from that.

However, if you are concerned about the redness, it is always a good idea to bring it up with your veterinarian to make sure there is not a more serious cause behind it.

ANSWER : A. Most flea and tick medications need to be applied monthly unless otherwise indicated by the product. It may be that your cat does not have enough protection and is still getting external parasites causing problems. If you cannot safely handler her or get her to a vet, it is a good idea to try and monitor the area where the tick may be for signs of growth or illness such as a red target shape forming on the skin which can indicate lyme disease from the bite and requires treatment. If she does require medical care or is very ill, then humanely trapping her for a vet trip or contacting your local humane society for help in catching her is best so that she can get the care she needs.

ANSWER : A. If it is a stray then you need to see your vet as soon as possible for a full examination. Yes you need a wormer but you need a good quality one from your vet, the over the counter ones are not as effective. You also need to treat for fleas and get vaccines. Your vet will be able to do all this and check that there aren’t any other medical problems that need attention.

ANSWER : A. Yes, I would have her checked over by your vet. It is likely that you have left the head of the ticks under the skin and it could cause irritation and infection. Your vet will also be able to prescribe the best treatment for fleas and ticks and show you how to safely remove ticks for future reference.