How to Check a Dog for Ticks

Checking your dog for ticks is an important daily task if they have spent any time outside in grassy or wooded areas. Both adult and juvenile ticks can be quite small and difficult to spot without routinely doing a thorough check of your dog’s entire body.  

Why You Should Check a Dog for Ticks

Ticks can transmit bacterial infections such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. Symptoms of these infections may include: 

• Fever 

• Swollen joints 

• Limping 

• Low appetite 

• Vomiting 

• Diarrhea 

Some of these infections can cause lifelong disease leading to intermittent flare-ups of symptoms.  

Tick checks are just as crucial for dogs who are on flea and tick preventatives because ticks can still attach to and bite them, and that bite can still transmit disease before the tick dies.  

Bite wounds from ticks can also become infected with bacteria or yeast, even if the tick does not transmit blood-borne disease to your dog.  

In addition, not every tick will die when exposed to the preventative due to natural resistance in the tick population, and if your dog’s coat has a lot of ticks in it, there is an increased risk that the ticks present could be resistant to the preventative.  

Some preventatives, including prescription flea and tick medications, might work better for your individual dog than others, based on their lifestyle or health.  

For example, Credelio Quattro is a once a month chew that not only protects against fleas and ticks but also protects against heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. Chat with your vet to determine which flea and tick preventative works best for your pup. 

What Do Ticks Look Like? 

The appearance of ticks can vary depending on their species, but generally ticks in the larval stage (after they hatch from their eggs) are very small and have six legs. Ticks in the nymph stage are only slightly larger and have eight legs. Ticks in the larval and nymph stages can be very hard to spot due to their small size.  

Adult ticks are larger and have an oval-shaped body and eight legs. Adults can be shades of black, brown, and tan. When an adult tick has fed, its body will usually be paler than its normal color, and you might not be able to see its legs.  

How To Check a Dog for Ticks 

To check your dog for ticks: 

• Briefly skim your hands over your dog’s body, feeling for bumps and other irregularities on their skin. If you find something unusual, take a moment to part the fur and look more closely at the skin to see whether you can locate a tick.  

• If your initial scan seems clear, you can go through your dog’s coat with a flea comb like the Safari Flea Comb to skim with more precision and search for any bumps.

  • Flea combs will not remove ticks, but they can reach deeper into your dog’s coat to find them. You can also use the flea comb to help you neatly part the fur in any suspicious areas to check for ticks.  

• Next, narrow your search to places like the inner and outer ear flaps, between the toes, under the tail, around the eyelids, and in the underarm and inguinal (groin) areas.

  • Ticks can more easily hide in places where the skin meets at tight corners or where skin folds are present. It’s also a good idea to check under your dog’s collar because ticks could be lurking under the material there.  

• If you find a tick in any of these locations, it’s best to remove it with a pair of tweezers or a special product like the ZenPet Tick Tornado that have been disinfected with rubbing alcohol first.  

Be sure to save the tick, if possible, to show your veterinarian to help them diagnose and treat your dog if your pup becomes ill.  

Removing a Tick From a Dog 

When removing a tick from a dog, it’s important to follow proper disinfecting and sanitizing procedures to decrease the risk of skin infections: 

• Take the tweezers or Tick Tornado in your dominant hand.  

• If you’re using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the dog’s skin as possible and pull straight out in a slow and steady motion.  

• If you’re using the Tick Tornado, slide the notch under the tick and pull straight out slowly and steadily. This will give you the best chance to remove the entire tick in one pull.  

• Do not twist the tick when you’re removing it. This could tear its head off, and if the head is left in your dog’s skin it can cause infection. But if the tick’s head comes off, don’t panic. Simply consult your veterinarian for guidance.  

• They might need you to bring your dog into the clinic so they can remove the tick’s head and prescribe medication to prevent infection and encourage skin healing.  

If you’ve successfully removed the entire tick at home, clean the area with a disinfecting spray such as Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Wound Care Spray.  

Be Consistent in Checking Your Dog for Ticks

It’s best to check your dog for ticks at least daily, especially when it’s warm outside. Ticks tend to emerge after a freeze when the temperature has been above 32 F for more than 24 hours. So every time your dog is out for a walk or playing near grass and trees in the warm weather, check for ticks once your pup is back inside.  

If you are in a low-risk area or the temperature has been below freezing often enough, you might be able to scale your tick checks back to once a week.  

Of course, tick checks are just one step in preventing tick-borne disease in your dog. It is crucial to have your pup on year-round flea and tick prevention. A variety of oral and topical options are available, and your veterinarian can help you make the best choice for your dog.