Ask any dog owner in Hong Kong and chances are pretty good that either their dogs or one of their friends' dogs has suffered from Tick Fever.
Tick Fever is a blood-borne disease, carried by ticks that if left untreated will result in anaemia, lethargy, loss of appetite and eventually death. Each year the number of cases of tick fever seems to rise and treating the disease gets harder and harder.
Traditionally, we have recommended a combination of monthly Frontline with a Preventic collar. For many dogs this seems to be sufficient, however, we are seeing more and more cases of dogs being treated with Frontline and Preventic who still attract ticks and acquire Tick Fever.
We were very happy to hear about two new products available for tick prevention. These two products are imported from overseas, meaning that the Hong Kong ticks will not have had the chance to develop resistance yet. After testing them out on our own dogs (and happily not reporting any ticks), we feel confident to start offering them to the dog owners of Hong Kong.
Bravecto - 3 Monthly Chewable Tablet is an FDA approved chewable tablet that is effective against Fleas and Ticks for 12 weeks. This product can be used on dogs as young as 6 months. This is recommended for dogs who go swimming a lot or are bathed regularly.
Seresto - 8 Month Slow Release Collar is a plastic collar which is infused with a slow-release formula to repel Flea and Ticks. The collar does not smell at all and can be used on both dogs and cats. It lasts for 8 months. Great for owners who want to put something on and forget about it. The collar should be removed when going swimming or bathing.
Bravecto tablet and Seresto collar are available in East Island Animal Hospital - located at No. 256 Shau Kei Wan Road, Hong Kong Island.