Ticks are on my dogs and walls. How do I remove them and prevent disease?
Tick prevention can be achieved in many different ways. There are TONS of products available on the market, some of which are prescription only and others that are over-the-counter. You might ask ten different vets and get ten different answers as to which product is best, and this is sometimes due to the fact that certain products work better in certain geographic regions. For instance, where I practice in western Pennsylvania, we find that the Seresto Collar provides the best protection, particularly against deer ticks. However, this is not what was routinely recommended further down south. The recommendations will likely be different in the UK as well, so asking some local vets their opinion would be a valuable tool for you. Just in general, there are three different formulations for protection: topical, collar, and oral medication. Any of them are capable of getting the job done, just some are better than others in particular instances. In terms of humans, ticks can definitely infect us with diseases. The tick itself has to do this though; the dog can not get the disease and then spread it to us. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with today.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025