As the weather turns warmer, we tend to spend more time outside basking in the sun, gardening or hiking with our dogs. Just as we slather on sunblock to protect ourselves from the sun, our dogs need protection from warm-weather pests, like ticks.
Many ticks carry zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted to humans, such as Erhlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Anaplasmosis. Some of these diseases may cause mild fevers to severe illness and debilitation both dogs and people. Ticks prefer to hide in dark, moist parts of the body. These are areas that your dog may not groom as often or may be difficult for him to reach. Ticks can also be difficult to see because they are small and their coloring camouflages them in our dogs’ fur.
Next time you come inside from a walk or hike, check these six places for ticks on your dog:
Between Toes
Ticks can be found in grasses like parasitic hitchhikers ready to attach themselves to any creature who passes through. If your dog happens to step on or next to a blade of grass a tick is on, it will attach itself to your dog’s fur. In between the toes is a perfect hiding place for ticks because, unlike cats, most dogs do not commonly spread their toes apart to clean between them. In addition, a tick’s bite is painless, so your dog may not even know that it is there. You’ll need to check carefully between each of your dog’s toes, the underside of his paw and in between the paw pads to make sure they are not hiding there.
Ears
If a tick happens to crawl on top of your dog’s head, it prefers to burrow around the base of the ear and sometimes just inside the ear canal. This is an area that is moist, warm and difficult for a tick to get dislodged. You’ll need to carefully part the fur around the base of your dog’s ear to look for ticks. Sometimes feeling around with your fingers may not be helpful if the ticks are small. Once they are engorged with blood, they are easier to detect.
A flea comb can be used to gently brush around the fur at the base of the ear to help you look. The fine tines of the comb can also brush the tick out if they are not firmly attached to your dog yet. A good light source is also needed to shine into your dog’s ear canal to look for their brown-black colored bodies. If you spot a tick on or in your dog’s ear, use tweezers to remove the tick from the ear canal. If the tick is located deeper in the ear canal, it is best to take your dog into your veterinary clinic and have a professional remove it.
Eyes
Ticks can congregate around your dog’s eyes and are attracted to the moist skin in this area. Remember that a tick’s coloring might make it difficult to detect on your dog’s skin, even near his eye. You will need to take a closer look around your dog’s eye in good light to make sure no ticks are there.
Neck
Another spot that ticks prefer to hide is on a dog’s neck, usually around the collar. The area where the collar rests on your dog’s neck is dark, moist and protected by your dog’s collar from being easily dislodged. In order to find the tick, you will need to remove the collar and use your fingers or a flea comb to carefully brush the fur.
Base of the Tail
Sometimes ticks can be found around the base of your dog’s tail or the perianal region. These are areas that the ticks can easily hide and feed. Get in the habit of checking your dog for ticks after each outing so you can remove them as soon as possible before they have had a chance to feed on your dog.
Armpits and Hind Legs
Other moist areas in the body that ticks prefer to hide are in the armpits and in between the hind legs. If you find a tick on your dog, do not use your hands to rip the tick off your dog’s body. Part your dog’s fur to give you a clear view of the tick, then find a pair of tweezers, put on a pair of disposable gloves and gently grasp as close to the tick’s head as possible, gently pulling the entire mouth straight out. If you do not grab close enough to the skin, you may pull the tick’s body off but leave the mouth parts attached. You can use the tweezers and try to gently pull the mouth parts off. If you are unable to remove the attached mouth, monitor that area. The attached mouth pieces may cause inflammation and potential infection. If that occurs, your dog should be examined by your veterinarian.
Human skin contact with the infected fluids of a tick is how most people contract infectious diseases, so it is important to wash your hands after removing a tick from your dog. The best thing to do to protect our dogs is to use tick preventative products. Please consult with your veterinarian to determine which product is best to use on your dog. When dealing with ticks, prevention is the best medicine.