Tick Protection for Dogs who Love Adventure
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With all the good times and fun that comes with adventuring with your dogs, there is a downside. Ticks! While there is no 100% tick proof method to use, there are several ways to combat against this problem. Tick protection for dogs who love adventures is crucial for your dogs health and safety
I have Samoyed (Tiberius) and golden doodle (Arabella). I typically keep the golden doodle fairly short but my Samoyed has hair for days. Tiberius is a tick magnet.
When the dogs were less than a year old, we took a trip out to one of my favorite State Parks nearby. Both dogs were on their monthly tick prescription from the vet. When we came home I found 3 ticks on Tiberius.
Toughly creeped out, I decided it was time for a bath to fully inspect him. 14 ticks later, I’m pretty sure we finally got them all. I spent the next morning contacting our vet to get some recommendations. The flea and tick medicine did do its job. The ticks that had bit him died. However, there were still plenty of others that had not made it to his skin yet.
Tiberius sleeps in next to me at night and I always fear that they will jump to a new host too. As you can tell, ticks have been a problem for us and I am hoping to pass on some knowledge to you. Enjoy the outdoors and stay protected while doing so.
Vet Flea and Tick Recommendation
Every pet owners first step should be speak with their vet. My dogs take a monthly preventative. This stays in their system so that if a flea or tick bites them it will die. I have always been told that on the off chance that the tick would pass along lime disease, they would have to be connected for 24 hours or more.
With that in mind, the medicine they take also helps prevent lime disease. However, it is not a repellent. My two take Brevecto but talk to your vet to find out what they suggest. This is a vital part of their health routine. We wouldn’t feel as safe being out in the woods without their Brevecto.
Human and Dog Tick Protection Bug Sprays
I have always thought, if I can repel ticks away from me it will ideally keep them away from my dogs too. Many of the stronger bug sprays have deet in them.
When I am using a strong bug spray, I make sure to spray myself away from my dogs, let it dry and then go to get them. As a kid, I hated putting bug spray on. I would cover my face and couldn’t stand to inhale the smell, I can only imagine that the dog would feel the same. There are a few bug sprays that I typically use. With the hikes and adventures that we go on, I tend to lean toward the stronger options
Off Deep Woods Dry
I love the Off Deep Woods Dry spray. It dries almost instantly and doesn’t feel greasy. The kind I get has 25% deet and protects against West Nile, Zika and other disease. This is my top pick for protection and overall feel of wearing protection.
Repel Insect Repellent Family Dry
Another great option is Repel Insect Repellent Family Dry. It has a similar quick dry and non-oily feel. However it is only 10% deet. However, hiking in the United States we don’t have to worry about malaria so the lower deet does not concern me.
Coleman 100 Max Insect Repellent
If you want to get some serious deet in you bug repellent then this is it. Coleman 100 Max Insect Repellent offers 98.11% deet in the spray. I haven’t felt the need to use this with my dogs on hikes. However, this was my bug spray of choice when I traveled to India in a high risk malaria area.
All Natural Bug Sprays
I love that we have natural options for bug repellent. Typically, I carry both kinds of bug sprays with me but prefer to take that natural route whenever possible. From my understanding, the natural or plant based options require you to use more frequently. However, two hours of coverage for a five mile hike is usually plenty for us.
Tick Ban
Tick Ban has to be my top must have product in my pack. It is safe for humans and dogs. Obviously not around the eyes or mouth. However, I like to spray myself and make sure to spray my dogs legs. Be sure to pay attention to the direction of the wind. Spray with the direction of the wind so that it does not blow towards you are not aiming for. Tick Ban is a plant based spray and we have had great experiences with it.
Off Botanicals
Off Botanicals is another plant based option. I love this because there are so many options. You can get Off Botanicals in spray, towelettes or lotion. The company suggest reapplication ever two hours for continued coverage. With a few options it is easy to find space to carry some around. I have not found anything that said it is safe for dogs. With that in mind, I would only use this on myself and keep it away from your dogs.
Permethrin
I learned about Permethrin when I was preparing for a trip to out to the Amazon in South America. Since then, I have used it to prepare for all of my outdoor trips.
If you are not familiar with Permethrin it is a spray that you apply to your clothes. Be generous with your spray and then hang your clothes out to dry. Once the spray has dried it will stay active for around 6 weeks or washes.
To date, I have not had any staining and negative effects on my clothes. It is even safe to use on your dog. I would certainly recommend getting Permethrin and spraying your favorite hiking clothes.
Secondary Tick Protection for Dogs – Seresto Collar
After our first big tick encounter that I detailed above, I spoke with our vet. She explained that it was safe to use a seresto collar for a second layer of protection. The seresto collar works more like a repellent. It helps keep the tick away.
Their monthly chew will kill off any that get past the collar repellent. They typically last 8 months and then need replaced. I don’t keep the seresto collar on all the time. Typically, I put it on before a good hike and then we will take it off before bed that evening. I am certain that we have had less problems with ticks since adding this to their protective layer.
Ultra Sonic Clip On
I have just stated looking into an Ultra-sonic clip. After looking through reviews, I have settled on ordering SonicGuard Ultrasonic Repeller. I have found good reviews in different places and an eager to give it a try. This one in particular is safe for humans and dogs. I’ll report back with positives or negatives once we give it a try for a few weeks. While I cannot attest to how well an ultra-sonic option works, I did want to include that this is an option on the market to try.
Whether we like it or not, ticks are a part of the outdoor lifestyle. If you are lucky enough to have adventurous dogs then finding way to repel and protect yourself and your pups is critical. I hope these suggestions help keep you all safe and outdoors more. I take my dogs on big hikes often and have tried so many products. These are my favorites and have offered us the most benefit. Have fun and keep exploring.
