How to Tell If Your Dog Has a Tick

Spot the Signs, Remove Safely, and Keep Your Pup Protected

Ticks are tiny bugs that like to hide on your dog and feed off its blood. Here's how to tell if your dog has a tick.

Ticks can carry diseases harmful to dogs and humans. Regularly check your dog for ticks,

especially if they are outside in wooded or grassy areas. Ticks are active year-round, with

increased activity in spring and fall.

What Do Ticks Look Like on Dogs?

A tick is a small parasite that can be identified as a hard bump on a dog's skin, usually dark

brown or black in colour. Depending on its life stage, a tick may possess six legs (larvae) or

eight legs (nymphs and adults). If the tick has been attached to the dog for an extended period,

it may become engorged from feeding on the dog's blood, resulting in a light brown or gray

appearance. In such instances, a tick may be mistaken for a small skin lump or cyst.

Ticks are typically found near a dog';s neck, head, ears, and in the creases under their legs.

Most people only notice ticks after the creatures have attached themselves to a dog to blood

feed. But it's important to know that when ticks get on a dog, they will often move around the

body searching for the best place to bite and blood feed.

Signs Your Dog Has a Tick

If you start seeing the following symptoms, your dog may have a tick somewhere on their body:

-Licking and chewing: Your dog may lick and chew at a particular area on its

body where the tick is located.

-Red, inflamed skin: Sometimes, the skin around the embedded tick can become

swollen, inflamed, and red.

-Anemia: If a dog, typically a smaller breed dog or puppy, is infested with lots of

ticks, the ticks can drink so much blood that the dog becomes anemic. Dogs with

ticks may have pale gums and be lethargic.

-Scabs: There may be a tick embedded in your dog's skin if you find random

scabs on your pet's body.

-Head shaking: Ticks sometimes crawl into a dog's ear canal or latch onto the

ear's outer flap, and head shaking may be one indication.

-Tick paralysis: In rare situations, some ticks may inject a toxin into your dog's

system while feeding, causing weakness and paralysis of the legs and body.

While it's alarming, removing the tick will return function to your dog's body.

-Tick disease: If a dog comes down with a tick disease, by the time the owner

notices the symptoms the tick will be long gone. That's because tick disease

symptoms typically don't present themselves until months after the tick bite. In

such cases, you might notice fever, tiredness, shifting lameness, pale gums, and

difficulty breathing.

-Lyme disease: This well-known tick-borne disease can cause depression, loss

of appetite, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and renal failure.

Try to avoid dealing with ticks by keeping your dog on preventives. If you do find the parasite on

your dog, you'll want to carefully remove it.

How to Remove a Tick from a Dog — The Right Way

No matter how careful you might be, chances are your dog will pick up a tick if they spend any

time outside. Ticks are stubborn parasites commonly found in long grass and woodland areas.

They latch on as your dog passes by, and once they’ve attached, they can be difficult to remove.

Though ticks will drop off your dog after they’ve finished feeding, this process can take days,

during which time the tick can transmit diseases — including Lyme disease — to your pet that

can cause serious health problems. The longer they stay attached, the greater the risk of

infection. That’s why it’s important to remove a tick as soon as you see one on your dog. Here’s

how to do it safely.

How to Remove a Tick from a Dog in 8 Steps

1. Gather Your Supplies

The first thing you need to start the tick removal process is a tick-removal tool specifically

designed to help you safely remove ticks from your dog in one piece. You may also use

tweezers with a pointed end if you don’t have a tick-removal tool.

You should also wear a set of gloves to protect your hands during the process. Always wear

gloves when dealing with ticks: The ticks found on your dog are very effective disease carriers,

and some of these diseases can also affect you and your family.

Finally, have a pet-friendly antiseptic, disinfectant and a sealed container handy to dispose of

the tick after you remove it.

2. Keep Your Dog Calm and Relaxed

Only try to remove ticks from your dog when they are calm and lying down. Wait until your dog

is still enough for you to get a good grasp of the tick with the removal tool. If you try to pull it out

quickly, you risk leaving the tick head stuck in your dog, which can increase the risk of infection.

It will be easier to remove the tick in one piece if your dog is still. A bone or treat may help keep

them occupied while you work to remove the tick.

3. Expose the Tick

Put on your gloves and use water or rubbing alcohol to flatten your dog's hair around the tick. Gently part your dog’s fur around the tick and keep it flat with one hand, leaving your other hand free to pull the tick out.

Take your time with this step to successfully remove the tick. Since it has already latched onto your dog, it will stay in place and may not move around after you expose it. Ticks bury their head into the dog's skin so their abdomen is the only visible part, so be careful not to leave the head embedded when removing the tick.

4. Use a Tick-removal Tool to Pull the Tick from Your Dog

A tick hook is shaped to get under the parasite’s body and pull it out in one motion without

squeezing; squeezing the tick could push bacteria-rich tick saliva into the bite wound. These

tools can be bought from your local vet’s office as well as some supermarkets and online

retailers.

Follow the instructions on your tick-removal tool to remove the tick. The general process is

usually:

1. Slowly slide the tool underneath the tick.

2. Pinch and pull gently.

3. Move steadily and straight upward to remove the tick.

Regular tweezers are not generally recommended for tick removal, as these are more likely to crush the tick or leave the tick head embedded in your dog. If you’re using tweezers, pull the tick out in one straight motion. Don't squeeze too hard, pull too fast or twist the tweezers.

5. Clean the Tick Bite

Gently wipe the affected area on your dog with an antiseptic designed for pets, or use soap and

water.

6. Check for Other Ticks on Your Dog

After you have removed the tick, there's a good chance there will be another one on your dog's

body, so be sure to check their coat thoroughly. Also check their feet, foot pads and ears, as

ticks often frequent these areas.

7. Dispose of the Tick

After you remove the tick, take a picture of it and then place it in a lidded jar or sealable

container with alcohol, close the lid and throw it away. Another option is to tape the tick to a

piece paper, which will dry out the tick, effectively killing it. Throw away the piece of paper after

snapping a photo.

Why take a photo before disposing of the tick? If you have a picture, you can show it to your vet

for identification in the event that your dog starts to show any symptoms of tick diseases.

Be sure to throw away the gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. Clean your tick

tool with disinfectant and store it somewhere safely for future use.

8. Watch for Tick Disease Symptoms

Monitor your dog for any changes in behavior over the weeks or months following tick removal,

and visit your vet if any unusual symptoms arise, such as lethargy or lack of energy, difficulty

using one or more legs (lameness), or rapid breathing.

What to Do If the Tick's Head Is Stuck in Your Dog's Skin

It’s not uncommon for the tick’s head or mouthparts to break off as you remove it. If this

happens and you can still see and grasp the embedded tick parts, you can try to pull the

remaining parts out of your dog’s skin. If you’re unsuccessful or can’t get a good grasp, you

have two options: Leave the area alone and let your dog’s body work the mouthparts out on its

own or make an appointment with your vet.

No matter which option you choose, avoid poking or prodding at the embedded tick parts; doing

so can both be painful for your dog and push the tick further into your dog’s skin, which could

cause irritation and infection.

If you leave the head in your dog’s skin, wash the area with warm soapy water. Over the next

few days, check the area to ensure it’s healing properly and doesn’t look red or inflamed;

contact your vet if you notice any signs of infection.