Spotting Ticks on Dogs: Quick Identification Tips

Part 1: How to Detect Ticks on Your Dog

1. Look for Them: Ticks are not easily noticeable before they engorge on blood. They start off small, but once they've had their fill, they can swell to the size of a grape. This is why, in the early stages, you might need some help from tools to spot these tiny parasites. It's also important to note that not all dogs will excessively scratch or itch after being bitten by a tick.

2. Feel for Them: It's advisable to use the tips of your fingers to search through your dog's fur. If your hand passes over an area with ticks, they will become very sensitive. Remember to avoid using your palm, as it is not as sensitive as your fingertips.

3. Inspect Key Areas: Ticks prefer to latch onto areas like the paws, belly, and ears. When checking the paws, pay close attention to the spaces between the toes. The belly is relatively easy to inspect, so no further explanation is needed. While examining the ears, also gently feel around the dog's head, lips, and chin area.

Part 2: What Are Ticks?

Ticks feed on a host's blood, causing the female to swell dramatically, sometimes up to 100 times her original weight! After engorging, a female tick can lay between 2,500 to 4,000 eggs before dying. Typically, a tick's life cycle spans about three years, involving stages such as hatching, growing, finding a host, feeding, mating, spreading diseases, laying eggs, and eventually dying. The peak activity for ticks occurs during the spring and autumn, with a particularly high presence in summer. However, ticks are not just a summer concern; in southern regions, they can still attack hosts during winter. These parasites are highly resilient to environmental conditions and can survive without food and water for up to two years. Ticks feed on animal blood, often carrying various viruses. If a tick carrying a disease bites another animal or a human, the recipient may contract zoonotic diseases such as Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Spirochetes, and Rickettsia, leading to severe illnesses.

Spring and autumn are the peak seasons for tick activity, with summer being especially active. Ticks are not just a warmweather problem; in the south, they can still be a threat during winter. They are incredibly hardy and can survive without food or water for up to two years.

Part 3: What to Do When You Find a Tick

Never squeeze, pull, burn, or otherwise irritate a tick. Avoid pulling it out forcibly, as this could leave the tick's mouthparts in the skin or stimulate it to release more saliva, increasing the risk of infection. Instead, apply alcohol to the tick to relax or kill it. After a few minutes, use a finetipped tweezer to gently remove the tick, grasping it near the mouthparts and pulling it out quickly.

Part 4: How to Prevent Ticks

Ticks are a yearround threat to the health of pets and their owners, leading to zoonotic diseases. They can be hard to detect after a bite, and not everyone is diligent enough to check their pets thoroughly after every outdoor adventure. Prevention is therefore more crucial than treatment.

We recommend using Bayticol, a longlasting dewormer, to prevent and treat infestations every three months. Bayticol is an oral, broadspectrum dewormer that is also the only product proven to prevent the transmission of Babesiosis (blood disease) for up to 12 weeks. It kills 100% of fleas and ticks within 12 hours of oral administration. It is also effective against ear mites, scabies mites, and demodex mites.

If you often forget to deworm your dog or find it difficult to do so, Bayticol is a convenient and worryfree solution.

Tip: For more information on dog ticks, read "Identification of 6 External Ticks in Cats and Dogs."