Ticks are a threat to dogs because they can carry a number of different diseases which can be dangerous for the infected dog. Ticks can also become a threat to family members if carried into the home by the pet. There are a number of different medicines which can be used to control ticks in dogs.
Frontline Plus Tick Medicine for Dogs
Frontline Plus must be applied to the skin of the dog every month. It is a liquid medication which is distributed through the skin by a process known as translocation. Frontline Plus is effective in killing and controlling both fleas and ticks.
Two other Frontline products are available: Frontline Top Spot and Frontline Spray. These products are not effective in killing the eggs and larvae of fleas as Frontline Plus is, and are therefore not used or recommended as often as Frontline Plus.
K9 Advantix Tick Medicine for Dogs
K9 Advantix is also a liquid topical spot-on medication for ticks which should be applied to dogs on a monthly basis. K9 Advantix is effective in killing fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and lice as well as being able to repel biting flies.
Promeris Tick Medicine for Dogs
Like Frontline Plus and K9 Advantix, Promeris is a liquid topical medicine which is applied to the skin every month. Promeris is effective at killing and controlling fleas, ticks and also is labeled to treat demodectic mange.
Promeris carries with it a strong scent of eucalyptus and dog owners will notice this scent for up to 24 hours after application of Promeris to their dogs. Some dog owners have found the smell objectionable, others seem to not be bothered by the smell. However, this is a concern that dog owners should be aware of before applying Promeris to their dog.
Revolution Tick Medicine for Dogs
Revolution is a commonly used flea preventive medication because of the fact that Revolution also prevents heartworms. In additional to flea and heartworm control, Revolution offers control against roundworms, hookworms and the sarcoptic mange mites which cause scabies in dogs. However, it is effective against only one type of tick (Dermacentor variabilis) out of many different species. Therefore, Revolution does not provide complete protection against ticks. There is some anecdotal evidence that Revolution may be more effective against ticks than its label claims, but there is insufficient research in this area to allow recommendation of Revolution as an effective tick control product.
Deciding on the Best Tick Medicine for a Dog
When dogs are likely to be spending time in a heavily tick infested area, tick medicines such as Frontline Plus, Promeris or K9 Advantix are probably the best choices for tick prevention. These products provide adequate flea protection as well. However, it should be remembered that these products do not provide protection against heartworm infection.
Revolution for dogs, on the other hand, provides good protection against fleas and heartworms, but the efficacy of the tick control accomplished with Revolution is questionable due to the fact that it may not control all species of ticks.
Dog owners will need to weight the advantages and disadvantages of each tick medicine option and decide which one one best suites the needs of the individual dog.
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