Tick prevention for hunting dogs in high-risk areas

A bird dog working tall grass and hedgerows every week is about as high-risk as it gets for ticks — we're talking dozens of potential exposures per session. Standard supermarket spot-ons won't cut it here. The most effective prevention depends on your dog's weight, your regional tick pressure, and whether you want something that kills ticks before they can transmit disease or simply repels them. What does your Pointer weigh, roughly — and are you in an area with Lyme disease concern, or more broadly just heavy tick numbers?

That tracks — Frontline's active ingredient is fipronil, and resistance has built up significantly in UK tick populations over the past decade. Live ticks after a hunt means it's not working fast enough to prevent attachment, and in Lyme country that's a real concern. For a 28kg working dog with weekly extreme exposure, I'd move him onto Bravecto spot-on. It's a fluralaner-based treatment applied to the skin every 12 weeks, and it kills ticks — including the deer tick that carries Lyme — within hours of attachment, well inside the transmission window. The 12-week duration means you're not scrambling to remember monthly doses mid-season. Has he had any reaction to isoxazoline-class products before, or does he have any known health conditions?

Bravecto comes in both forms — I'd suggest the spot-on for a working dog. It's applied to the back of the neck, absorbs into the skin, and you don't have to worry about it washing off if he goes through water or gets rained on, which matters a lot if he's working through wet cover. The tablet version works just as well pharmacologically, but some dogs that swim or get bathed frequently do better with the spot-on simply because there's no absorption question. For his weight you'd want the Bravecto Spot-On for Large Dogs, which covers 20–40kg. One pipette lasts 12 weeks, so four treatments covers the full year. You can pick it up on prescription from your vet or via licensed online pharmacies.

Yes — always do a manual tick check after every session regardless of what prevention you're using. Run your fingers through the coat especially around the ears, neck, between the toes, and the groin. Even with Bravecto working, you might find a dead or dying tick that attached briefly, and it's good practice to remove it cleanly with a tick hook. Keep a Tick Twister or O'Tom hook in your kit bag. Bravecto dramatically reduces the risk, but no single product is 100% — the check takes two minutes and adds a real safety margin. With that combination he's about as well protected as a hunting dog can be.

Good plan — your vet can prescribe it in the same appointment and some will dispense it directly, which saves time. If they offer a flea and tick health check at the same time it's worth taking it, especially since he's working ground that deer use. Once he's on the 12-week cycle, set a phone reminder so you don't accidentally let it lapse mid-season. He sounds like a well-worked dog — Bravecto should make a noticeable difference from the first treatment.