Dog On Revolution Picked Up A Tick

by Kate
(Ontario, Canada)

Reader Question: Is My Canine Protected From Ticks?

Just got a tick off my dog, who has been on Revolution for 5 months, but missed a dose due a couple of weeks ago. The tick was not engorged, though looked as though it HAD been (like a balloon blown up, then emptied of air) I removed it, and when I was checking to ensure that the tick was dead, I found another live, unfed tick on the first one. Was the second tick living off the first one?

I gave my dog her missed dose tonight after checking the calendar...have never missed a dose before in 3 years. Is she protected?

Sincerely,

Kate

Vet’s Suggestion Regarding Dog’s Protection from Ticks

Hello Kate,

The missed dose of Revolution could be to blame for the ticks that you have found on your dog. Get back on track with your monthly applications and keep a close eye out for more ticks. It looks like it’s going to be a bad year for ticks, and Revolution is not the most effective product out there to deal with this type of external parasite.

If you find ticks on your dog after you know you’ve given a dose of Revolution in the past 30 days, you’ll need to consider switching to another product (e.g., Frontline or its generic equivalent with a separate form of heartworm protection) or adding an amitraz collar to your current Revolution protocol. Your veterinarian can help you determine what option is best in your dog’s individual situation.

With regards to Lyme, you would have to be extremely unlucky for one of the two ticks you found to have passed the disease to your dog. There is no benefit of testing at this point; just watch your dog for symptoms (e.g., lethargy, limping, swollen lymph nodes, and fever) and bring your dog into the vet immediately if she seems unwell.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM