Flea and tick dog collar: which one to choose?

If skin parasites begin to bother your beloved pet, then not only the animal, but also its owner feels depressed. You need to think about the means of protecting your pet in a timely manner. After all, the appearance of fleas and ticks can lead not only to unpleasant itching, but also to serious infectious diseases. In this article, we will look at what harm bloodsuckers can cause to an animal, what types of collars exist, as well as which flea and tick collar is best to choose for your dog, consider customer reviews and draw a conclusion about their effectiveness.

Consequences of flea bites

The dog scratches the affected areas, which often causes an allergic reaction. The substance that fleas inject under the skin has a negative effect on the hemostasis system, which is responsible for stopping bleeding. In addition, allergens contained in the secreted secretion can cause stomach diseases, as well as lichen and hair loss.

Ectoparasites carry tapeworms such as the cucumber tapeworm. It starts in the intestines of the animal and, as a parasite, releases toxic substances that can cause nervous disorders, nausea and refusal to eat. In severe cases, seizures and sudden weight loss are possible.

Sometimes fleas can lead to a deadly disease like rabies. You don’t have to be afraid of the virus if you get vaccinated in a timely manner.

Tips for choosing a collar

A wide range of products makes it difficult to choose the product that is right for your cat.

A flea collar for cats is first and foremost a collar, and only then a flea collar. When worn on a cat, it will definitely let teams that catch stray animals know that this is someone’s pet. And such protection is sometimes much more important than protection from some insects...

Efficiency

The result depends on your compliance with the following rules:

• To begin activation, remove the product from the protective packaging and stretch it a little.
• The collar should not have a suffocating effect on the animal; install the clip in the right place.
• To kill all fleas, the ring must be worn constantly. It is necessary to put it on your pet’s body in advance, before a walk.
• Can be combined with the use of a spray; such an integrated approach will reduce the likelihood of tick bites.

Consequences of tick bites

To rid your animal of forest blood-sucking insects, you need to put a protective collar on your dog before walking in the park. An unprotected animal can be infected with the following diseases:

• piroplasmosis - provokes the destruction of blood cells;
• bartonellosis - leads to dysfunction of internal organs;
• borreliosis - can cause paralysis of certain parts of the body.

These diseases most often lead to death. This is why it is so important to protect your pet from ectoparasites in a timely manner.

There are many means of protection against pests, but flea and tick collars are considered the most effective and convenient to use.

Directions for use and precautions

• Remove from packaging
• Open the protective package
• Unfasten the product and put it on the cat's neck

The product should not fit too tightly to avoid discomfort.

After removal, pack in a protective bag made of polymer material to avoid insecticide fumes.

The validity period of collars from different manufacturers varies.^

• Standard – 60 days
• American analogues – six months
• German products – 7 months

The products will protect your pets from:

• Ticks
• Lice
• Vlasoedov

The effective effect of products against ixodid ticks lasts no more than 30 days.

Unfortunately, some domestic manufacturers do not care about the safety of their products and produce products that provoke allergies and skin diseases in cats. As an active ingredient, such craftsmen add potent flea poison for cattle to the impregnation.

Be careful, study customer reviews, listen to the recommendations of veterinarians, and do not fall for the trick of the minimum cost.

How does a tick and flea collar for dogs work?

A flea and tick collar is a protective product made of plastic or rubber, which is an elastic band that is fixed around the animal’s neck. The device has insecticidal properties and, upon contact with the dog’s skin, begins to release toxic substances that are smoothly distributed throughout the body. After about two days of using the collar, the “inhabited” blood-sucking parasites and their larvae die, and new “potential neighbors” are repelled by the repellents included in the composition. The service life of the device is from 4 to 7 months.

Continuous use of this collar will reliably protect your beloved pet from fleas and ticks. The main thing is to carefully read the instructions and safety precautions before use to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Contraindications and rules of use from the instructions:

• It is not recommended to wear an anti-flea collar on sick, pregnant or weakened animals, as well as pets under two months of age;
• during the first hours of wearing, the dog must be supervised, as individual intolerance or allergies are possible, in which case the collar must be removed immediately;
• the product should not lie next to food, things and other interior items;
• the storage location must be inaccessible to children and animals;
• It is necessary to exclude the possibility of the collar getting into the oral cavity, as this can cause disorders of the digestive and nervous systems. If this happens, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

Benefits of flea and tick collars

If you follow certain rules of use, the protective collar will become a reliable barrier against blood-sucking parasites. In addition, it has significant advantages over other insecticidal agents:

• the product is affordable and, when used correctly, does not cause discomfort to the dog;
• innovative models of collars can protect the animal from various types of blood-sucking insects;
• modern devices are multifunctional and are used both to get rid of parasites and to prevent their occurrence;
• A new generation insecticidal device contains chemicals that are harmful to fleas and ticks, but safe for pets.

When getting rid of skin insects, the combined use of repellent products will be more effective. And in the future, it is necessary to remember that it is much easier to protect the animal in time than to later suffer with the removal of blood-sucking parasites.

How the collar works

The principle of operation of the collar is the same as that of sprays or shampoos. The active substance in all cases is an insecticide that destroys insects. As for safety, it is no more than that of other parasite remedies.

The substance with which the collar is impregnated kills and repels lice.

If an animal is infested with fleas, you can observe how they leave the cat en masse; after an hour, there are practically no adults left.

ATTENTION! The larvae attached to the hairs remain unharmed. If you remove the ring from the neck of an animal, lice will hatch out of them after a while. Therefore, the larvae need to be starved out - do not remove the collar until all the eggs hatch. Young lice, sensing the smell of poison, will quickly leave the animal.

How to choose the right flea and tick collar

To choose a comfortable protective equipment for your pet, you need to study in detail the classification and size range of protective collars.

There are the following types of collars:

1. Biological - more natural. Suitable for young puppies or dogs recovering from illness, as well as for females during pregnancy, as they contain plant extracts. Efficiency is average.
2. Ultrasonic - odorless. This type of protection is harmless and universal. The action of such devices is based not on insecticidal properties, but on the sending of ultrasonic waves.
3. Chemical ones are the most effective. They are recommended for completely healthy and adult dogs, as they contain a high concentration of toxic substances that are fatal to fleas, ticks and other parasites.

In addition to classification by species, there is a division by size of animals depending on the length of the collar:

• For small dogs of breeds such as Spitz, Chihuahua, lapdog, dachshund and many varieties of terriers, a collar up to 38 cm in length is suitable.
• For medium-sized pets, the representatives of which are: bulldog, husky, bull terrier, collie, husky, poodle, you need a product with a length of at least 58 cm.
• For large dogs: mastiff, Doberman, St. Bernard, German and Caucasian shepherd - a protective tape of 70 cm is intended.

Having decided on the type of product and measuring the volume of the dog’s neck, you can go shopping for a protective accessory.

When choosing a device, you should also consider the following factors:

1. Composition and active ingredients. Manufacturers who have nothing to hide indicate this information.
2. Cost of the collar. A cheap product may have questionable contents that are dangerous for your four-legged friend.
3. Manufacturer. It is better to choose brands that have been tested by time and customers and have positive reviews.

You need to approach the purchase of protective equipment responsibly, having studied in detail all the characteristics and recommendations for using the product, so that your pet is as comfortable in a collar as without it.

Best GPS Collars for Cats

Collars with a GPS tracker are especially necessary for pets that walk independently. The devices allow you not only to see the current location of the cat, but also to study its habits, routes and behavioral characteristics. As a rule, collars are quite expensive, but provide the owner with ample opportunities: to issue a voice command remotely, set boundaries and receive a notification if the animal has crossed them, and much more. For correct operation, you need to install the application and purchase a SIM card for the collar.

Indications for use

A collar with pheromones is used as a calming agent to prevent an animal from becoming restless in various stressful situations, or as a deterrent for overly active and aggressive pets. It can be used in the following situations:

• going to the veterinarian;
• grooming (including nail trimming);
• participation in the exhibition;
• changing of the living place;
• traveling by car or flying;
• the appearance of a new family member (including the birth of a child, or a long stay of a guest in the house);
• the appearance of a new animal;
• holidays with fireworks, loud songs, noise, and uproar;
• carrying out repair work;
• during a thunderstorm.

If a collar is used to suppress the temper of an overly energetic pet, then you must remember that the product will not solve the problem. It can be an auxiliary tool in the educational process.

Age specificity of parasite destruction

You can remove fleas from small kittens that are less than two months old by choosing the means and methods with extreme caution. If the kitten is 1 month old, fleas and laid eggs are combed out only with a comb. Most insecticides for pets are toxic; babies can become poisoned by ingesting insecticides. The mother also licks them; when swallowed, the drug will enter her stomach and cause poisoning of the milk that the kitten feeds on.

Fleas in pets older than three months are removed in the same way as in adults, only with a reduced dose.

Insects get to small kittens from the fur of the mother cat, who brought parasites from the street, through contact with other infected animals, or from a damp, dark room where bloodsuckers live. Therefore, to avoid re-infection, it is necessary to first treat the cat and then treat the kitten.

To remove fleas from a pregnant cat, you should choose an effective but gentle product. The animal should be rid of parasites before the birth of kittens, which are absolutely defenseless. The kitten itches, insects infect it with worms, so the babies grow sickly, weak, and significantly stunted in weight and height. Anti-flea treatment for a cat involves preventing even a small amount of the drug from entering the body, because the drug can negatively affect pregnancy, causing miscarriage or abnormal development of the fetus. It is recommended to use low-toxic products:

• collar;
• shampoo;
• special drops.

Anti-flea shampoo and a similar collar do not have a negative effect on intrauterine development. Drops should only be selected by a veterinarian, since there are types of drugs that can penetrate the circulatory system. Bathing with added shampoo can cause stress in the animal, so it is used only when necessary. It is recommended to use a collar as a safe and effective means.