Tick With a Red Ring on My Puggle: Does Trifexis Protect Against Ticks?

Thanks for your question, Ashley. Trifexis is a good product, but it does not protect against ticks. It is approved for fleas, heartworm prevention, and hookworms, roundworms and whipworms, and ticks aren't on its label. So your Puggle currently has no tick protection, and it would be worth asking your vet about adding a tick product.

The good news is that the Lyme bacteria generally aren't passed on until a tick has been attached for at least 36 to 48 hours, so finding and removing it quickly lowers the risk. A red ring with a darker center where a tick was attached is usually a local skin reaction. Keep the area clean and call your vet if it swells, oozes or doesn't fade.

Signs of Lyme disease, if they develop, usually appear 2 to 5 months later and include fever, lameness, swollen joints, low energy and a poor appetite. Your vet may suggest a blood test 4 to 8 weeks after the bite. See our guide to Lyme disease in dogs for more.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.