Dog and cat tick collars contain chemicals that kill ticks before they can pass on serious diseases such as babesiosis, Lyme disease or anaplasmosis to pets. How to choose the best collar for dogs and cats? How should it be used to best serve its purpose?
Collars for ticks for dogs and catscan be purchased at a veterinary office as well as at a pet store. they are also available in many other places, also on the Internet.
If your pet has a lot of hair, the collar will not be the best protection against ticks.
When deciding to buy one of them, you need to remember that only some of them have tick-killing properties, the rest only repel ticks with different effectiveness. Therefore, it is not worth saving on the collar and it is better to choose the one from a reputable manufacturer.
Cats who spend a lot of time outdoors on their own are not recommended for tick collars, as there is always a risk that the animal will get stuck and hurt itself.
In this article you will learn:
- How does the tick collar work?
- How long does the tick collar last?
- How to put a tick collar on a dog and a cat?
- How to take care of the tick collar?
- What precautions should be taken when handling the tick collar?
- How to prevent ticks?
- How to remove a tick from a dog or cat?
- What tick-borne diseases do cats have?
- What tick-borne diseases do dogs have?
How does the tick collar work?
The tick collar contains insecticides (such as permethrin, flumethrin, imidacloprid) that are not harmful to humans, and also substances that repel ticks.
After the collar is properly put on, the active substances are released from the micropores of the material from which it is made and reach the entire fur and skin.
If your pet has any ticks, remove any ticks before putting on the collar.Even a few days after putting on the collar, you may find a tick on your pet- this does not mean that the collar is not working - the parasite just got stuck in the cat or dog before the collar started working .
How long does the tick collar last?
What should I dopay attention when buying a tick collar? How long it works - it is important, because it is best to replace the collar a little earlier, with an overlap.
Normally, anti-tick collars work for 3 to 8 months, but for an animal to be fully protected, it takes a few days (usually at least 48 hours) for the substance to come into contact with the skin and spread over its entire surface .
How to put a tick collar on a dog and a cat?
For the spreading process of the tickicide to proceed properly, the collar should adhere tightly to the animal's body, but should not choke it - applied too loosely, it will not fulfill its task - active substances will not get onto the skin.
Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after wearing the collar.
Collars are usually produced in two sizes - for smaller and larger animals. After choosing the right one for your pet, you need to put it around his neck (remembering the principle of two fingers) and trim the excess collar to a length of about 2 cm. If the animal is young and still different, then when adjusting the collar you should remember that you may need to enlarge the circumference while wearing it.
How to take care of the tick collar?
Some collars should be taken off while bathing or going for a walk with the dog in the rain, so when making your choice, it is a good idea to reach for a waterproof collar.
Do not forget to clean the collar- it is important, because the insecticide will not be released properly from the clogged micropores. How is it done? Just wipe the collar thoroughly with a damp cloth.
What precautions should be taken when handling the tick collar?
Although insecticides in anti-tick collars offered by leading manufacturers are not harmful to humans, caution should be exercised, especially in the case of children. They should be taught not to touch their mouths when in contact with the collar, and preferably to wash their hands immediately.
Some collars emit quite an unpleasant smell, sometimes it is so intense that it causes an allergic reaction - then it is worth asking your vet or seller about unscented collars - there are more and more of them on the market.
There are collars on the market, the producers of which clearly indicate that the animal wearing them should not, for example, sleep with a man in bed, so if your pet is sleeping in bed, look for another collar.
How to prevent ticks?
Worth knowingApart from anti-tick collars, you can also use:
- spreje
- drops on the skin(spot-on)
- chewing tablets
- It should be remembered that no chemical agent can guarantee 100% that the tick will not penetrate the cat, but if it does, it will be able to kill the parasite before it passes the germs to the animal
As there is no data on the effect of the active substances used in anti-tick collars, their use in pregnant and lactating bitches and kittens should be avoided.
Worth knowingHow to remove a tick from a dog or cat?
First of all, be careful -brutally treated tick returns the stomach contents(i.e. simply vomits) into the pet's bloodstream, passing on all diseases at the same time it is a carrier of. It's best to do it with gloves and use special tools, and then decontaminate the wound after the tick. If you are in doubt whether you can handle it, take your pet to the vet.
Read:
How to safely remove a tick from a dog?
How to safely remove a tick from a cat?
What tick-borne diseases do cats have?
- babesiosis
- Mycoplasma haemofelis (former Haemobartonella felis)
- anaplasmosis
- erlichioza
- Lyme disease
- contagious feline anemia
More information can be found here.
What tick-borne diseases do dogs have?
- babesiosis
- anaplasmosis
- erlichioza
- bartonellosis
- European tick-borne encephalitis
- Lyme disease
- heartworm
- mycoplasma