Beware of Tick Medications

It’s that season of the year again.

The horses are shedding. The birds are nesting. The trees are budding. The air smells like SPRING!

And every time I walk out to the barn, I’m instantly covered in horse hair. Brushing my horse is strictly an outdoor activity this time of year. I leave some of the hair behind for the birds (they love it for nesting material), and the rest goes into a feed bag for trash pickup.

Side note: Can you spin horse hair into yarn? Apparently you can. I may need to research that further…

But with warmer weather, birds building nests, flowers blooming, and all the beauty of Spring… there come the creepy crawlers that make life miserable for dogs, horses, and people alike.

Ticks.

I pull them off my horse.

I pull them off my dog.

And unfortunately… I pull them off myself.

Which raises a question that humanity has probably been asking for centuries:

What exactly is the purpose of ticks?

Do they serve some hidden ecological purpose? Maybe. But from the perspective of anyone who owns animals, they mostly seem to exist to transmit disease and ruin otherwise beautiful days outside.

I’ve heard guinea hens are excellent for tick control. Apparently they eat them like candy.

But I don’t have guinea hens.

So the real question becomes:

What do I use on my own dog to combat ticks?

Let’s talk about that.

The Pharmaceutical Tick Prevention Industry

Most dog owners turn to pharmaceutical flea and tick preventions such as

• Simparica Trio

• Bravecto

• NexGard

• Seresto Collar

These medications belong to a relatively new class of drugs called isoxazolines.

The FDA approved these medications because they are very effective at killing fleas and ticks.

However, what many dog owners do not realize is that these medications also come with documented neurologic side effects.

Possible adverse effects reported include:

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• lethargy or depression

• muscle tremors or fasciculations

• ataxia

• seizures

• and in rare cases, death !!!!

These side effects are not internet rumors or conspiracy theories. They are listed directly in regulatory warnings. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an official alert regarding this entire class of medications.

The FDA wrote: “The FDA is alerting pet owners and veterinarians to potential neurologic adverse events associated with the isoxazoline class of drugs… including muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures.”

Source:https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-alerts-pet-owners-and-veterinarians-about-potential-neurologic-adverse-events

The official prescribing information for NexGard, for example, states:

“Neurologic adverse reactions including tremors, ataxia, and seizures have been reported in dogs receiving NexGard.”

Drug label source:https://www.fda.gov/media/91321/download

That information is not hidden. It is right in the drug insert. But most dog owners never read those inserts.

A Personal Tick Disaster

Now let me be clear. Ticks are not a theoretical problem where I live. They are a problem for sure!

One morning I discovered what can only be described as a full-scale baby tick invasion during the night while I was happily sleeping in my comfy bed next to my black Lab!!! (if you ever needed a reason for your dog NOT to sleep in bed with you, here it is!!)

Apparently my black Labrador had picked up dozens (or maybe hundreds) of tiny larval ticks while following my horse through tall spring grass. Those baby ticks hitchhiked into my house. And eventually… into my bed.

I will spare you the full details, but it resulted in a complete bedroom and house deep cleaning operation.

While my bedroom was being fumigated with Wondercide…My sheets were being washed on the hottest cycle my washing machine could produce…And I was scrubbing myself like I had just returned from a toxic waste spill… My poor dog underwent multiple washes with good old-fashioned Castile soap. He smelled like peppermint candy and his fur was squeaky clean.

BUT after the chaos settled, the important questions started.

Question 1

How did all those baby ticks get onto my dog?

Answer:He was following my horse while I was riding through tall spring grass. Ticks sit on vegetation waiting for a host to brush past. This behavior is called questing. (I had to google that one) Dogs that accompany horses through fields are basically tick magnets.

Question 2

How do I prevent this from happening again while minimizing the risk of pharmaceutical drugs to my dog?

That question requires a balanced answer.

Because ticks carry diseases such as:

• Lyme disease

• Anaplasmosis

• Ehrlichiosis

• Babesiosis

• (and apparently Alpha Gal....but that's for another article)

Those are not trivial illnesses. But neither are drug side effects!!

I prefer a layered strategy that prioritizes safety first:

Step 1 — Essential oil collar

There are collars containing essential oils such as cedarwood, geranium, or peppermint that help repel ticks.

These are extremely safe. They are not perfect, but they help. The one I use is called “Waggie”. The package says they last for 8 months. I change Tar’s out every 2 months.

Step 2 — CatanDog tag

Another product I use is the CatanDog tag, which is a tag worn on the collar that uses paramagnetic resonance technology.

Is the science fully understood? Not really. But it is completely safe, and in my experience it helps reduce tick attachment.

Step 3 — Pharmaceutical backup when necessary

When tick exposure becomes extreme, I will occasionally reach for a pharmaceutical option.

But that's not my first choice.

The Medication I Choose When Needed

If I must use a pharmaceutical flea/tick product, the one I prefer is: "Frontline Plus” The active ingredient is fipronil.

Unlike the oral isoxazoline drugs, fipronil works primarily in the skin and hair follicles rather than circulating heavily in the bloodstream. According to the Frontline prescribing information:

“Fipronil accumulates in the sebaceous glands of the skin and hair follicles, from which it is slowly released onto the skin and hair.”

Source:https://vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu/vth/services/pharmacy/fipronil/

This means systemic exposure is relatively low compared to oral medications that circulate throughout the body. Because of this pharmacology, Frontline has historically been considered safer for dogs with seizure disorders, although individual sensitivity can always occur with any medication.

Another important detail many people misunderstand:

Most flea and tick products do NOT repel ticks. They kill ticks after they bite. The parasite must attach and begin feeding before the medication affects it. Which means the word “prevention” is misleading. It is more accurate to say these medications kill parasites after exposure.

The Bottom Line

Ticks are part of the environment. Unfortunately they are not going away. And if you and your dog are outdoorsy like we are, the real goal is risk management.

For my own dog, the order of priorities looks like this:

1. Avoid heavy tick areas when possible

2. Use low-risk repellents first

3. Perform frequent tick checks

4. Use pharmaceuticals only when needed

   
   

And when I do reach for a medication for my dog, Frontline remains my personal choice.

It has decades of use behind it, a well-understood safety profile, and minimal systemic absorption compared to many newer products.

And the good news is:

You don’t need a prescription. You can buy Frontline over the counter at places like Walmart, Tractor Supply, or most pet stores.

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