Is frequent anesthesia safe for my aggressive dog with ear ticks?

Topical lidocaine would be safe, but it isn’t going to help much with the discomfort of the tick after an hour or so. Even though they are a common pest, they can cause irritation and local infection, quite a bit of discomfort in the ear, and (cause anemia in younger animals). A topical tick preventative would likely be cheaper in the long-run than purchasing lidocaine sprays.

There are a few oral products that generally work very well for ticks if you can get them. They are Nexgard and Simparica. They are tablets that you give once a month. Both dogs should be started on this medications your veterinarian agreed. First you will need to speak with your veterinarian to make sure these medications are not contraindicated. Most parents can take them but pets with seizures may not. Make sure to ask your local veterinarian if there are concerns for tickborne diseases in your area. If so, your veterinarian may want to treat the pets prophylactically. Treating the local environment as best you can with insecticides may also help. I hope this gives you some ideas. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Benson. There are a variety of safe flea and tick preventive medications. I prefer topical formulas because the flea or tick is repelled. When you give an oral chew the flea or tick has to bite your pet to die. This will still kill the pest, but it allows diseases to spread to your pet. For that reason, I prescribe Vextra 3D. Frontline Plus is also a good product, but does not cover quite as many pests as Vectra. Vinegar and water will not be effective. I hope this information helps!

I would recommend pursuing other options such as topical anti-flea medication similar to frontline or advantage or even an oral medication such as Nexguard These tend to be safer for dogs your puppies age and have less side effects.

Nexgard is an excellent product that provide tick protection in addition to flea prevention. Bravecto is a similar product, but it provides coverage against fleas and ticks for 3 months. All of these medications require a prescription. I would recommend discussing them with your vet to determine the best fit for Charlie.

No worries. You can safely switch up flea medication every 2-4 weeks no problem. All flea prevention is labeled as safe for dogs but pets can have adverse reactions to just about any medication unfortunately. But these are not expected to happen. I have seen fewer reactions with Nexgard if that is any consolation. : ) Best wishes with your pet Jack moving forward and I hope that he tolerates Nexgard well! Take care.

I occasionally see toxicity issues with some of the over-the-counter topical flea products like Hartz, Sergeant's, etc. - this is more commonly a problem in cats, but can sometimes be an issue with small dogs as well, especially if they've been dosed above their weight range. All of the prescription flea/tick medications currently on the market (Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica, etc.) are quite safe and effective.