Tick pills for dogs: what they are, how they work and how to choose one
- 04.03.2025
Tick pills for dogs are effective against different types of parasites: intradermal ticks, ixodal ticks and fleas. They also eliminate intestinal parasites. This is the most convenient format for using this kind of medication. Let's consider the effects of tick pills for dogs. How to choose them?
How do pills from ticks for dogs work
Preparations of this type are given to the animal orally. Substances are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract into the blood and get into all tissues and cells of the body. This gives comprehensive protection. The pills are effective against subcutaneous and skin mites, as well as helminths, nematodes and other parasites.
Giving your dog a tasty tablet is not difficult as it is made as a treat. The chewable forms of the tick medication have a pleasant meat flavor. They can also be given along with the food. It is believed that such preparations are safe for the dog, although they cause paralysis and death of parasites.
A tablet from ixodal ticks is given to the dog a few weeks before the beginning of the season of their active life. For prophylaxis against skin mites, the drug should be used throughout the year in courses according to the instructions.
If the dog has an exacerbation of chronic diseases or poor health, giving a tablet from mites is not recommended. Also, the animal may have an individual intolerance to the components of the drug.
How to choose pills from ticks for dogs
Take into account several features:
- The drug is selected by dosage according to the weight of the animal. If you give the animal a large dose, you can cause intoxication. If the amount is too small, the drug will be ineffective.
- Choose how it will be more convenient to give the tablet to the animal: as a treat or together with food.
- The period of exposure of the tablet from ticks for dogs can vary depending on the composition.
Usually one tablet is enough from 30-35 days to 12 weeks. This means that all this time the active substances of the tablets from ticks for dogs remain in the blood and tissues of the animal. The parasite will die only if it bites the dog, and its blood with the drug gets into his body. Only then the tick pill will work. If the parasites just move around the animal, they do not die. Therefore, if a mite crawls on the pet, it does not mean that the pill is not effective.
It is important to take into account that tablets from ticks for dogs of long action contain 10 times more active component than other means. Accordingly, the likelihood of side effects in the animal is higher. In some countries, prolonged-acting tick pills are allowed to give dogs only from the age of 6 months. Therefore, it is worth consulting a specialist before choosing such a drug.
Many types of tick pills for dogs can be used for pregnant and lactating animals, but strictly under the control of a veterinarian. If the dog has food allergies, choose a preparation that does not contain proteins of animal origin.