How to prevent and eliminate parasites? Especially infestations in summer.
People from the countryside say that the hotter it gets, the more parasites there are: flies, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks in all their stages… and it’s absolutely true.

This summer of 2015, so hot and dry, ticks have made a massive appearance, and people who have dogs, sheep, goats, cows, etc., are complaining that they have “never seen” so many ticks before. They even say that ticks are entering homes through doors or windows.

A photographer friend who is an ornithologist sent me photos of birds with ticks on their heads, in their “plum” or “ammunition” phase. Rabbit hunters complain that the rabbits they shoot are infested with ticks more than ever, and they cannot put them in their backpacks or sacks until they are completely cold and all the “critters” have fallen off.

It’s true, a “tick year.” What does a family with a dog do if they find one or more ticks that the dog may have picked up on the street, beach, countryside, park, etc.? They go to the veterinarian and get the pipette, collar, pill, or injection… Yes, there are products of all brands and prices… but not all of them work the same, nor are they suitable for all dogs… some may suffer allergic reactions to certain components of the medication.

What about those who have multiple dogs, kennels, breeders, hunting dog owners, stray animal shelters, dog boarding facilities…? They don’t buy one pipette for each dog; they look for large-scale rapid solutions.

You can fumigate kennels with “Neocidol – 60,” but be careful with the amount of product diluted in water. It’s a super-effective product but extremely toxic; it can even kill puppies if they drink it, so dogs cannot be put back into the kennels until they are dry. There are other fumigation products: Zotal, Parasitiven, Zoogama Cuper, Supona, etc.

And what about dogs, horses, and other domestic mammals? A few years ago, a good veterinarian from Seville told me, “for me, the best is ‘BUTOX.’ It’s a whitish, somewhat thick liquid… that you can put on the back of the neck, on the skin, as if you were applying a pipette from the best brands. The amount is indicated on the bottle itself; the bottles are half a liter… I have tried it, and it works; so far, none of our dogs has had an allergic reaction. Also, based on a recommendation from a friend in Ronda (Malaga), I am using another product in the same way that gives good results; it’s called ‘SPOTINOR,’ and so far, it has not caused any rejection or allergic reactions in our dogs either.

There are hunting dog owners who inject IVOMEC into their dogs. I bought a bottle but have never used it because I heard it caused reactions in some dogs of different breeds. I haven’t verified it, but I know it’s very effective for cattle, both internally and externally, according to friends who have cattle.

In summary, I recommend, above all, thorough weekly cleaning of the places where dogs spend most of their time, with products containing “chlorine.” We do it with a spray gun that has a small container with a chlorine tablet inside. Wash the dogs every 10 or 12 days with a good shampoo; once they are thoroughly dry, you can apply the external antiparasitic treatment… and check the dog daily. Ticks, fleas, mites, mange… are very annoying, they bother dogs, make them nervous, make them scratch themselves, ultimately causing suffering, preventing them from being happy and healthy…

And our dogs deserve the best from us, in addition to our affection. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Antonio García Pérez, Encina Grande (Ubrique-Cádiz) August 2015.