I Found a Tick On My Dog! Now What?!

Picture it: after a long day of strolling through the woods, you’re relaxing with your pup. You reach over to pet Fluffy’s belly, only to feel a strange bump in her armpit. Looking closer, you see a swollen, wriggling tick! When you find a tick on your dog, the first thing to do is stay calm. In this article, we’ll explain where and how to check your dog for ticks and what to do if you find them.

Ticks 101

Ticks are cold-blooded parasites that feed on host animals’ blood. Unlike fleas or lice, which bite and move on, ticks latch onto their host and feed over the course of several days. Ticks can be infected with a variety of diseases, which they pass to host animals via saliva at the bite site. The longer an infected tick stays latched, the higher the chances of transmission. That’s why time is of the essence when it comes to finding and removing ticks! 

Tick Checks: When & How To Find Ticks

Oregon alone is home to over 20 different species of ticks. While ticks come in various colors and sizes, they’ll generally be flat, oval-shaped, and wingless. The smallest ticks can be about the size of a pinhead, which makes them difficult to see. Engorged ticks, or ticks that have fed and are full of blood are larger and more globular in shape than unengorged ticks. 

We recommend doing a thorough tick check after every walk, especially if your pet isn’t on a monthly tick preventative! While ticks are most common in shrubby grassland and dense forests, they can also lurk in backyard debris piles and leaf litter. 

To perform a tick check on your pet: 

• Gently run your fingers through your pet’s fur, starting at the feet and working your way up. You’re feeling for any unusual lumps, bumps, or unfamiliar nodules. 

 

• Pay special attention to ticks’ favorite areas: the head and neck (especially under the collar), around the mouth, around and inside the ears, armpits, belly, and groin. You’ll also want to check between their toes and around the paw pads since tick season is also grass seed season!

 

• If you feel a bump, gently part your pet’s fur to get a closer look. A tick will be a black, brown, or grayish-brown bug. If you find a tick, note whether it’s crawling on the surface of your pet’s skin or already latched, as this will affect the best protocol for removing it. If a tick is completely unlatched and just crawling through your pet’s hair, you can put on gloves and pick it off your dog. Flush it down the toilet to dispose of it. 

How To Remove A Tick That Has Latched

Like we said before, time is of the essence when you find a tick on your dog. However, removing the tick safely and correctly is just as important! Improper removal can lead to further complications, like abscesses and infections. 

Bring them to see us!

The safest way to remove a tick is to let your pet’s veterinary care team do the dirty work. The team at Mountainside Veterinary Hospital has the tools and experience to make sure the entire tick is removed. Plus, we can assess the bite site and prescribe ointments, antibiotics, and pain medications if your pet needs them to recover safely. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll have a medical record of when the tick was removed. This could solidify an important timeline if your pet develops tick bite-related symptoms down the road. 

Safely Removing Ticks At Home

If you can’t bring your pet in for tick removal, you can attempt to remove it at home. Wash your hands and put on gloves if they’re available. Using clean tweezers or a tick remover, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible without pinching. 

Be careful not to squeeze the tick! Doing so can cause it to regurgitate blood and saliva back into your pet’s bite wound, increasing the risk of disease transmission. 

Gripping the tick carefully, pull straight up or away from your pet’s body. Twisting or pulling from an angle may cause the tick’s head to break off and stay lodged in the skin. It may take a minute or two of consistent pulling before the tick dislodges. 

After Removing The Tick

Be sure to clean the bite wound thoroughly with warm, soapy water. Dry the affected area and watch carefully for signs of infection: redness, swelling, tenderness, or feeling hot to the touch. Drop the tick in a sealable container of isopropyl alcohol and note the date it was removed. If your pet develops tick bite-related symptoms, it could be helpful to identify the tick species. 

Prevention Is Still The Best Medicine

Though they’re becoming increasingly common, tick bites are still a big deal. Ticks can transmit serious, long-term diseases to both pets and people. In this case, prevention is the best medicine, and the only no-risk tick bite is the one that never happens. There are plenty of choices when it comes to flea and tick preventatives. Let the team at Mountainside help you pick the right product for your pet’s age, breed, health history, and lifestyle!

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