Tick prevention for a young Labrador in rural areas

Moving to a rural area with a young Labrador is exactly the right time to get tick prevention sorted before the exposure starts, not after. The most effective option really comes down to the dog's size and weight, how high the local tick pressure is, and whether you want a monthly oral treatment, a spot-on, or a collar. Some widely available products — including certain supermarket brands — offer much weaker protection than they appear to. So let's get this right for your dog. How much does your Labrador weigh right now, and do you have a preference for how you'd like to administer treatment — tablet, spot-on, or collar?

Somerset farmland is genuinely high-risk for ticks — long grass, livestock, deer all nearby. And a 18kg Labrador who's still growing means you need something that gives full-body protection quickly and consistently. For that profile, I'd go with NexGard Spectra. It's a monthly chewable tablet that covers ticks, fleas, mites, and worms in one dose, which is ideal when you're in a rural area with multiple parasite pressures. It kills ticks within 48 hours of attachment — before most can transmit disease. At 18kg he'll take the medium dog dose, and as he grows you just move up to the large dog pack. It's prescription-only in the UK, so you'll need a vet sign-off, but most vets will do this at his next routine appointment or via an online vet if you're mid-move.

Yes — Seresto collar is the best non-prescription option and it's genuinely effective, not one of the weak ones. It provides 7–8 months of continuous tick and flea protection and is well-suited to farm dogs because it works even when wet. It won't cover worms, so you'd still need a separate wormer, but for tick prevention specifically it holds up well. Get the large dog collar for a Labrador at his size. That said, once you're settled and registered with a local vet, I'd still recommend switching to NexGard Spectra long-term — the all-in-one convenience is hard to beat on a farm.

NexGard Spectra is licensed for dogs from 8 weeks of age and 2kg bodyweight, so your 6-month-old Labrador is well within the safe range. Age isn't the limiting factor here — it's really just about getting the weight-appropriate dose and having a vet confirm he's generally healthy before starting. At 6 months he should be well past any concerns on that front.