Ticks are Tiny parasites with eight legs that crawl around, looking for hosts. When they find one, they burrow their mouthparts into the host’s skin and feed on the blood, where they can stay for days. Oh, and did we mention that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they can also spread 14 different diseases to their hosts? Why wouldn’t you like it?
Ticks are gross and creepy but can cause real problems for dogs and people. Since ticks stick to their hosts and eat slowly, they can go unnoticed for a long time, which gives them a lot of time to spread disease. Some of these tough little parasites can grow up to four times their original size while they feed on blood, so if a lot of them live on a small dog, they can cause the dog to lose a lot of blood and become feeble.
So how can we keep ourselves and our dogs from getting ticks?
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Tick Facts
The old saying “Know thy enemy” is good advice when fighting parasites. First, here are some facts about ticks:
- Ticks don’t fall from trees onto their hosts, despite what most people think. Instead, they wait patiently on plants (usually in wooded areas or tall grass) until they can sense carbon dioxide, heat, and movement, which tells them when a host is coming close. Then, they “quest” for a ride by reaching up with their front legs and waving them around. If they are lucky, they can climb onto their host and crawl until they find a place to eat.
- During the spring and summer, ticks are most active; however, in some areas, they can survive well into the fall and winter. Ticks can be out and about if the ground is warmer than 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Ticks are most active throughout the spring and summer; however, in some locations, they can survive well into the fall and winter. Even though not all ticks carry disease, many do, and if you or your dog get sick from one, it can be very bad.
- The saliva from ticks is a real “magic potion.” It not only makes the person numb so the tick can bite without the person noticing, but it also has a cement-like substance that keeps the tick stuck to the skin and an anticoagulant that keeps the blood from clotting so the tick can keep feeding for days.
The 4 Most Likely Ticks To Infest Your Dog
Even though there are about 15 tick species in North America, most live on birds and other animals. These are the four ticks that your dog is most likely to find:
American Dog Tick
They are dark brown with white spots or lines on their backs. When filled with blood, the females look elongated and gray. They are widespread in the United States but are most prevalent near the shore and in warm, humid regions. They are most active in the spring. Most of the time, these ticks live outside. They rarely get into homes or buildings. They attack both dogs and humans.
Lone Star Tick
These are different shades of tan or brown. Males have white spots all over their backs, while females only have one. Most of the time, they live along the east coast, south, and midwest. They like thick brush or wooded areas near creeks and rivers where animals like to rest and lay down.
Deer Tick (Black-legged Tick)
Deer ticks, also called Black-legged ticks, have become well-known because they are likely to give their hosts Lyme disease and the parasite Babesia. Deer ticks are very small, about half the size of other ticks. They are reddish-brown and live in wooded areas along the east coast, south, and upper midwestern states. The Western Black-legged tick lives west of the Rocky Mountains, mainly in California, Washington, and Oregon.
Brown Dog Tick
You can find these ticks all over the United States. They mostly feed on dogs and rarely bite people. Brown Dog ticks prefer to live inside, which is why they are called “kennel ticks.” They often live in homes or kennels, hiding in cracks, under appliances, rugs, furniture, and behind curtains and walls. They usually feed by sticking to a dog’s face, ears, or between its toes. As soon as the females fall to the ground, they crawl to a warm, dark location to lay their eggs. They can lay up to 3,000 eggs simultaneously.
So, now that your skin is likely crawling, here’s how to remove ticks from your dog and prevent them from returning.
10 Ways How To Get Off Ticks On Dogs
You can use many ways and products to keep ticks off of your dog. Remember that some of the products listed below have chemicals meant to kill or repel ticks, so be careful to use them as directed.
Spot-on Treatments
Spot-on medicines are made of chemicals to keep ticks and fleas away and kill them. This liquid comes in tubes with just one dose, which you put on your dog’s skin between the shoulder blades. The oil in the liquid is meant to spread slowly over the skin, where it can keep ticks away for up to a month and kill any already there.
Ticks can be treated with spot-on medicines like K9 Advantix®, Frontline® Plus, and Revolution®. Even though these medicines work very well, they should be used with great care. The dosage depends on how much your dog weighs, so always make sure you’re using the product made for your dog. Never use a tick product made for dogs on a cat! Check with your vet for advice on which spot-on treatment is safest for your dog.
Oral Medications
Tick and flea pills taken by mouth come in tablet form and are given once a month. The tablets are easy to give, and unlike spot-on medications, you don’t have to worry about cats or children coming into contact with your dog right after treatment.
Your dog’s weight is also considered when making these oral medications. Some products, like Bravecto® and NexGard®, can only be bought with a prescription from a vet. As with spot-on treatments, you should ask your vet which is best for your dog.
Tick Sprays
Sprays for ticks are just sprayed right onto your dog’s fur. They work best when used before going outside because they keep ticks from sticking to you and keep them from coming back. But they can also kill any ticks that make it onto your dog.
There are both chemical and natural sprays that kill ticks. Be careful not to use them near your dog’s face or eyes, and keep them away from cats and other pets in your home.
Tick Shampoos
There are medicines in these shampoos that kill ticks on contact. They must be used often (about once every two weeks during tick season) because they don’t protect against ticks for as long as other products do. As with any tick product, you should ask your vet which brands are safest.
Tick Dips
Dips are strong chemicals meant to be diluted with water and poured or sponged on your dog after a regular shampoo bath. Tick dips kill ticks on contact; since they don’t wash off, they keep protecting you even after using them.
Dips are very potent, and most of them smell like chemicals. They can’t be used on dogs younger than four months or pregnant or nursing dogs. Because dips can be dangerous if they aren’t used correctly, if you want to get rid of ticks on your dog, you have it done at your vet’s office if you can. Since these are strong chemicals, the chance of them being dangerous is higher than with other methods on this list.
House and Lawn Treatments
Sprays and granules that keep ticks away from your home and yard can be bought from your vet, local garden center, and some pet stores. Many services that get rid of pests also treat ticks. Remember that some chemical products can hurt children and other animals, so they should stay away from the treated areas for the recommended amount of time.
Tick Collars
Most tick collars keep ticks away from your dog’s head and neck, but they only protect part of the body and spot-on pills or sprays. For these collars to work, they have to touch your dog’s skin. This means that dogs with thick coats or a lot of undercoats may get less out of them than dogs with lighter coats. Tick collars shouldn’t be worn by puppies younger than three months. As with any product, you should watch your dog for any skin reaction or allergy signs.
Creating a Tick-Free Zone In Your Yard
Make sure your yard is not a good place for ticks to live. This will make it less likely that your dog will get ticks. Ticks like places with long grass, trash, and high humidity. Keep your lawn and bushes trimmed to make your yard less inviting to ticks. Also, get rid of any leaf litter or other debris that might keep the ground underneath damp, which is a good place for ticks to grow.
Safety-Checking Your Dog
During tick season, you should always carefully check your dog for ticks after you’ve been outside with him. Please pay close attention to his armpits, inside his ears, between his toes, and around his neck and face. Ticks can take a while to find a good place to attach themselves and feed on your dog, so the sooner you find and remove the ticks (while they are still crawling on the fur and not attached), the better.
Even though this is an old method, it still works if you do it regularly. This is especially true for dog owners who don’t want to use chemicals. But if your dog is big, has dark or thick fur, or you live in an area with many ticks, it can be easy to miss a small tick. You’ll need to weigh the chance of missing something against any worries about giving your dog treatment or medicine. Don’t be afraid to talk to your vet about your worries.
Manual Removal
Don’t get scared if you find a tick on your dog. The important thing to remember is that old wives’ tales about getting rid of ticks (like burning them with a match head, suffocating them with nail polish or petroleum jelly, etc.) DON’T WORK and can hurt your dog. These things can make the tick salivate more, making it more likely to spread the disease. Instead, you can follow the steps below to remove the tick yourself.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s important to remember that dogs don’t always tell you when they’re sick, so don’t rely solely on your pet’s behavior to guide you through the initial stages of treatment. While signs of fever and vomiting are easy to spot, other symptoms, such as lethargy, inappetence, and loss of interest in play, are often subtle and hard to recognize. The good news is that there are ways to monitor and diagnose a dog’s health without relying on its behavior. A veterinarian can provide a comprehensive exam, blood and urine tests, and a full physical examination. Your vet can recommend the most appropriate treatment if your dog shows illness.
