Ticks: all you need to know

Spotting ticks

Only about as large as the head of a pin and usually black or brown in color, ticks can be a challenge to see. You may think that checking your dog regularly with brushes of the hand is giving the all-clear, but the hair-covered body of a dog is not nearly as appetizing to ticks as the more secluded, hairless regions. Namely, around the ears, joints of the legs, and between the toes are where you're most likely to find them hiding. Regularly running your hands over your dog’s back and stomach is a good idea, but remember to check the less exposed parts too.

Another common indication of ticks is irritation. If your dog is shaking its head or legs in an agitated way, this could signal discomfort due to the presence of a tick. Similarly, signs of abnormal weakness and fatigue, loss of appetite, or shivering could indicate a fever caused by an unwelcome guest. Be sure to check your dog regularly and thoroughly for any signs of bites or scabs.

How do ticks attach?

If your dog spends a lot of time outside in warm weather, particularly in green environments such as parks and fields (or even your own garden), they're at higher risk of acquiring a tick. Ticks can be picked up from vegetation such as bushes or grass that a curious dog may decide to go sniffing around in, or from other dogs he meets. Upon landing on a dog, the tick inserts its mouth parts into the unfortunate animal’s skin, holding itself securely in place. A sticky "glue" produced by glands on the tick’s body also helps it to stay attached. All in all, it’s a pretty unpleasant business.

Things to look out for

Ticks can cause a range of symptoms in your dog, from mild skin irritation to full-blown fever. Here are some of the clearest signs that your dog may be carrying parasitic passengers:

• Skin irritation, itching. Dog might shake body parts or scratch against objects 
• Inflammation and redness around the bitten area 
• Mild to high fever
• Loss of appetite 
• Lethargy and fatigue 
• Depression and reduced personality 

Any of these symptoms may occur only for a few hours, or continue for days or weeks. If your dog is showing these signs, it’s worth checking for ticks.

Dangers

Beyond the initial symptoms of flea discomfort, more serious health hazards may make themselves apparent. Once a tick has been feeding for more than around 10 or 12 hours, dangerous blood borne diseases can be passed on to your dog. These include Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and encephalitis, as well as so-called "tick paralysis," a rare disablement brought on by a toxin found in certain female ticks. Prolonged feeding may also lead to anemia from blood loss in your pet.

How serious is it? If dealt with rapidly, a tick will not pose a serious threat to your pooch. However, if left unnoticed or untreated for any significant time, these tiny terrors could damage your pet’s long-term health or—worst of all—even cause issues which endanger their life. It is therefore crucial to catch ticks early on, before they infect.

How to remove a tick from a dog

Removing ticks is straightforward and painless for both dog and owner if you know what you're doing. The first thing to do when removing a tick from your dog is to ensure that you have the appropriate tools. You will need:

• Clean, ideally sterilized tweezers (you can sterilize by submerging the tweezers in boiling water for a few minutes and allowing to cool before use) 
• Rubber gloves to avoid infection 
• Veterinary disinfectant 
• Alcohol (this should be rubbing alcohol, not something from the drinks cabinet) 
• Small sealable plastic bag, such as a sandwich bag 

To remove the tick

1. Put on the rubber gloves to protect your hands. 
2. Take the clean tweezers and gently grasp the head of the tick where it attaches to the skin. Press down slightly to grip as close to the skin as possible. 
3. Important: Pull slowly and steadily on the tick until it begins to slide out. If you tug or yank suddenly, you risk breaking off part of the parasite in your dog’s skin, which is bad news. 
4. Immediately dab some disinfectant on the affected area to prevent infection, being especially careful if near your pet’s eyes. 
5. Place the tick in your alcohol to kill it. 
6. At this point, it is a good idea to save the tick in the plastic bag. Strange though this may sound, if your dog does later contract symptoms of disease or infection, it could be important to identify the particular breed of tick that was found. 

Prevention techniques—put it right before they bite

The best way to tackle ticks is to act before they find their way onto your dog. Here are five easy steps you can start taking today to minimize your dog’s risk of picking up a pest or becoming harmed if they do so.

1. Check daily

The easiest and most certain way to ensure your dog doesn’t suffer the long-term damage of a tick is to check your pet every day. Run your hand across all areas of the skin, remembering to check the particularly vulnerable hidden areas of the leg joints, ears, and between the toes.

2. Avoid tick-infested areas

Knowing your local tick spots and how to keep your pet away from them is a good first step in avoiding infection. Speak to other dog owners about any particularly bad areas and make a note of where you think your own dog may have picked up the critters.

3. Do some gardening

Most dogs spend at least a bit of time each day in the garden, making this one of the most common places for ticks to make contact. While it is possible to plan entire landscaping projects around tick-prevention, simpler measures such as clearing tall grasses and invasive weeds, mowing the lawn frequently, and surrounding the space with a border of non-vegetative material like wood-chips or paving, can be part of an anti-tick approach to gardening. Discouraging wild animals such as squirrels and neighbors’ cats from visiting can also stem the migration of ticks onto your property.

4. Ask for a professional exam

When visiting your vet for a check-up or other treatment, ask them to conduct an examination. This quick check by a professional who knows what they're looking for could highlight signs or symptoms which you might not notice yourself.

5. Use a repellent

Tick repellents for pets vary widely, and the product suited to your needs will depend on your particular animal, home environment and other factors. Ask your vet to recommend whether a repellent would be suitable for your dog.

Preventing ticks for your dog can be a challenge, but treating them is easy if you act quickly and know what to do. Spotting a tick early and acting to remove it could save your dog—as well as your wallet—a lot of pain and discomfort. Look out for the key symptoms of irritation, fever, and lethargy and conduct regular thorough checks on your animal while petting in the home.