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How to remove ticks from puppies? What are the best treatment options?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | unspayed | 2 months and 2 days old | 17 lbs

I recently got 2 puppies from a family friend and noticed they had a small amount of ticks. I gave them a bath and managed to remove a good 6 off each pup after scavenging for an hour, are there any rememdies/vaccines/topical treatments I can try to help my puppies rid of them?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 27th, 2018

There are a few different options for effective treatment of ticks. The topical products are often the best and it's always best to get them from a veterinary clinic, because they will reccomend the best and safest products. You can also get certain products at the pet store. Frontline and Revolution both have products made for puppies and work well for killing ticks.

I hope that helps and all is well with the pups.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Silvia De Cecco, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on July 5th, 2018
The tick has to be removed asap. If you do not feel confident please contact your vet practice, I am sure a vet or a vet nurse can help you. If you would like to try to remove it by yourself, follow those instructions: https://www.petcoach.co/article/safely-removing-ticks-from-your-pet/.
I also recommend flea and tick treatment that you can you get from your vet (prescription treatments). Be 100% sure to get one formulated for dogs and given his tiny size check the correct dose for his weight. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Emily Fukuzato, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 21st, 2017
If your puppy is 8 weeks she is old enough to get prescription strength tick control. I would recommend you call your veterinarian in the morning and pick up something they recommend. There are newer oral products on the market that are very effective for ticks. Topical fipronil spray (Frontline) can be used topically as well as manual tick removal. However, even with the topical and manual removal, I would still recommend a prescription strength tick product to kill those ticks you can't get.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on May 29th, 2017
I am assuming you mistyped and they have ticks on their paws? Unfortunately there are no tick products labeled for a dog this young. Revolution is labeled for 6 weeks which is the youngest product I am aware of. This means removal of the ticks will need to be mechanical- you or your vet will need to pull the ticks off. You want to grasp them as close to the skin as possible and then gently but firmly pull. You can use tweezers or a small hemostat to do this. After removal wash the wounds with mild soap and monitor for swelling/discharge/pain. If these develop, or you don't feel comfortable removing them yourself, or any tick heads get left behind in the process veterinary care should sought.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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What's a safe and effective tick treatment for a young puppy I found?

You should remove all the ticks with tweezers and then apply a flea and tick preventative spot on suitable for young puppies or Frontline spray (which is suitable for puppies). These are available at your veterinarian or in a pet shop.

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You can treat the mom now and there are some products you can use on the puppies now as well (like Revolution). Here is a chart of what products you can use. I suggest you consult with your vet about what products they have available. I would suggest treating everyone with Revolution. You do not need to isolate the mom. ( https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/puppy-health/flea-and-tick-medicine-for-puppies/ ) Don't forget to treat the environment - both the house and the yard. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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