Owners should not rely solely on chemical control to prevent tick infestation, because no product is totally effective, and a single attached tick can cause the disease. They should be advised about when and where their pets will be at risk; encouraged to thoroughly search the coat daily; keep the coat as short as possible (to aid searching); and understand the efficacy, appropriateness, safety, and limitations of available preventive products (sprays, topical spot-ons, tablets, and collars). Combination therapy (eg, spray and collar) may give better results by using two modes of action, but there are no published data to support this concept.
