OK,
now that you know everything about tick fever; What is the stuff that works?
Ticks are not only annoying pests, but as you know, often carry nasty diseases.
The only way to protect your animal from tick- borne diseases is to prevent the ticks from attaching to their skin and drinking their blood.
Not many products out there are repellents. This means, even the best of preventatives still allow the tick to climb up on your animal and bite them, however after biting, the ticks die or get paralysed instantly from the preventative you are using.
It is important to follow the instructions on the box of the product, and it's labeled use. 'Off the label use' means; product was found to treat or prevent something, but no research was done (or better said 'founded') to prove its efficacy for this characteristic.
Your veterinarian is often the best source of information when it comes to 'Off the label' use of certain products. The internet is full of information, but you have to know which information to trust and whether it is applicable for the particular case of interest.
All these products that are used to prevent ticks, fleas and other pests are of course, chemicals, and they have side effects. Their safety, however, is tested in a wide dose range on many individuals, repeatedly, even after the product is declared safe for the market. Re-testing and improving the formulas happens regularly.
When it comes to this topic, I say, have no mercy for your animal. Even if you are the most green, holistic, living in vacuum, drinking only holy water kind of individual, none of these chemicals will harm your pet as much as a tick borne disease will.
Not to mention, some of the tick borne diseases are zoonoses. By preventing the ticks from feeding off your pet and completing their lifecycle, you are fulfilling an important role in public health.
Do not feed your dog garlic in hope to prevent ticks. Not only this does not have any effect on ticks, it will poison your animal and cause acute toxic anemia.
Do not come to me saying you are not using any preventatives during the tick season because Fifi only goes out to potty. That is a no-no.
Use the preventatives regularly. Use the ones your local vet recommends. What works in one area might not work in another. Ticks are living creatures, there are 899 different species of ticks, and the buggers are developing resistance to certain products in certain areas.