Protecting your poodle from ticks and fleas

The more time that your poodle or dog spends outdoors, the more likely it is that it will be exposed to fleas and ticks.  That is why it is so important you take steps towards protecting your poodle from ticks and fleas.

Ticks are particularly dangerous since their saliva contains pathogens and diseases that could be extremely bad for a dogs health, such as lyme disease, which can cause serious problems.

If your poodle has been bitten by a tick, bring it to your vet right away

Protecting your poodle from ticks and fleas

There are products you can use on your pet for protection such as frontline, which is one of the most well known of these products.  The drawback is that it contains powerful neurotoxins which many people do not like to use because of the toxicity of this formula.  There are some natural products and home remedies or concoctions that will do the job just about as effectively.  You can also choose to get a flea and tick collar, which is a little better than applying the frontline directly to your dog's coat and skin.

I have read that adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar to your poodle's or dog's water dish will help greatly as a natural flea and tick repellant.  Others suggest adding some of the B-complex vitamins to your pet's water to help reduce the risk of getting bitten by parasites.
Essential oils can be used very effectively to prevent and repel ticks and fleas as well.  Here are some of the ones that are recommended by some experts.
You can use any of them or combine a few together.  The ones that are most often used are citronella, cedar, lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosewood, thyme, oregano, juniper, myrrh and geranium oils.
If your dog is bitten by a tick, it is pretty easily removed if you do it properly.  Try to get into the habit of inspecting your pooch regularly for ticks and if you do daily brushing or grooming, just look your pup over thoroughly to see if there are any unwanted guests.

Here are the suggested steps to safely remove a tick from your dog from vetmedicine.about.com.

• Use latex exam gloves to examine your pet for ticks. Examine using good lighting.
• Check your pet daily for ticks by thoroughly feeling for any lumps under the hair. Pay close attention to ears, around face, eyes, legs, and belly.
• Ticks will range in size from the size of a sesame seed to the size of a fingernail (engorged).
• When is tick is found embedded in the skin, use a fine pointed tweezers at the point of attachment, and grasp the tick head firmly. Remember to wear latex gloves when doing this.
• Using slow, steady, and firm traction, pull the tick straight out from the skin.
• It is critical to NOT squeeze the tick body at any time -- this can inject more potential pathogens in to you or your pet while the tick is embedded.
• Cleanse the skin with mild soap and water.
• If a small part of the tick breaks off, you can try to remove it as you would a splinter, but it is probably best to leave it alone. The body will 'eject' it in time.
• Place the tick in a jar of alcohol, noting the date, in case of future illness. Tick identification and location of tick infestation will be important.

The original article may be found here.

Take a look at the video below on the proper way to remove a tick from the body of your dog.  You can use a tick remover or a pair of tweezers.  Do it carefully and be sure to remove the tick straight out without squeezing the body.  This will only inject more pathogens into the dogs bloodstream.  Using latex gloves is recommended, so you do not come into direct contact with the tick.