This may seem unpleasant to other dog owners but I tend to pick ticks off my dog and just drown them in water. I bathe my dog every five to seven days, four if the weather is really hot, but sometimes even after bathing them, a few of the pests would survive.
I live in a tropical country and it's currently "summer" here so it gets really hot. I had my shih tzu's coat shaved off because of the infestation and as much as I wanted to keep it growing, it's just helping the tick infestation get worse. It doesn't seem to dampen her mood though.
Disinfecting after is a habit and I always make sure not to squash any ticks for possibly spreading any eggs.
I also remove ticks from my dogs by picking them and then throwing them into hot coals. I used to stamp on them underfoot but I have realised that this can spread eggs. Removing them is a bit uncomfortable for the dogs but they seem to appreciate the small discomfort. My uncle uses old engine oil to smear the dogs so that the smaller ticks suffocate and this seems to work.
This thread is my concern because the Tick is my mortal enemy. I hate to see any of my dogs scratching. Especially Barbie, the youngest and smallest of my dogs, she would be whining while scratching so we know if a tick is in her coat. Fortunately, ticks attack them once in a while and all we need to do is to fumigate the entire house with Baygon spray. That does it. But it is risky because insecticide is harmful to the dogs. What we do is to get the dogs out of the house - into the car so they feel comfortable with the airconditioning. Spray the whole house especially the nooks and corners. And we let it be for at least 2 hours and then aerate the entirety with electric fans and open windows. The aeration is for another 2 hours to make sure there are no more fumes left.
