My dog has ticks. Is it safe to shave his fur to remove them?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. Shaving may help her, but she needs to be on a flea and tick preventive. She should also see her veterinarian as her skin appears infected. She may need antibiotics or a medicated shampoo to help her heal. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is no need to take him to the vet due to the ticks. Be sure to get him in to the vet soon though for vaccines, start heart worm and flea/tick medications and to have him dewormed. Bring a stool sample. If he hasn’t had any vaccines yet he should be seen next week. If he has received his first vaccines (DHPP) the he needs it boosted 3-4weeks later. Good luck!

An electric shaver is safe, but removing hair in one area of a dog won't help you get rid of the fleas. I promise, they are all over him! Chase needs to be on a good quality monthly flea preventative. Bathing will help remove fleas that are currently on him, but it won't prevent new ones from hatching in days or weeks. Bathing will also decrease the efficacy of topical flea preventatives. I would recommend having Chase examined by a vet so he can be started on an oral flea preventative. It may take up to 3 months to completely rid your house of fleas. Here is some more information on how to treat fleas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/flea-control-and-prevention/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It depends on the ingredients in it though none of them tend to be harmful to dogs so Whiskey should be ok. However, I would encourage you to get a flea preventative/treatment product such as Bravecto or Frontline plus for example. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. Oh dear, those are a lot of ticks & I am VERY glad you are wearing gloves. I would get her in a tub with warm soapy water, preferably one labeled to kill fleas & ticks, but dish soap will work, & try & remove as many of the ticks as you can. The skin will bleed, but just try to get as many ticks off as you can. The soap will stun/kill the fleas, but the ticks can take days to die & fall off. It may take several baths to get all of the ticks. If you have access to any of the oral flea/tick products, give her one appropriate to her size. If all you can get are the topicals ( not sure what is sold in your country, but an Advantage or Frontline type product is great). Bathing shortly before or after applying a topical can diminish its effectiveness, but you should go ahead & apply anyway. If none of these are available, just use the soapy water & tweezers to remove the ticks, even if it takes a few days of bathing. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! Poor Rusty! Ticks are no fun and can be quite painful when in large quantities. I would recommend using a flea and tick preventative such as Frontline, Nexgard or Bravecto. He will likely need a shampoo to help soothe his skin after the ticks die. I would recommend Douxo PS Calm shampoo, which can be easily found online. I hope this helps and that Rusty improves! Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns!

The best way to get rid of ticks would be to use an oral tick preventive like Nexgard or Simparica. You give him a tablet and the ticks will die. If you use it every month, it will prevent the vast majority of ticks from attaching to Oli. If you cannot get one of these products, wash him in a flea and tick shampoo. Make sure to read the directions carefully as it often requires you to leave the shampoo in contact with the skin for 10 minutes or so. Each product is different and will tell you the appropriate directions. Brushing him will also help. In some parts of the world, ticks can transmit diseases. I recommend to call your local veterinarian and ask if any further action needs to be taken. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.