Ticks on dogs: how to identify and remove ticks

Ticks on dogs

• There are hundreds of species of ticks around the world.
• Several can be found in the UK, especially in spring and summer.
• While they can be found all year round, their numbers increase between March and November when temperatures rise.

What does a tick look like on a dog?

Ticks can vary in size from 1mm up to 1cm long. Small ticks can be difficult to spot. They usually become obvious when you run your hand over your dog’s head, ears, neck or feet and spot a small lump that wasn’t there before (although they can latch on to any part of the body where there is a good blood supply). Ticks on dogs typically have a cream-coloured, oval body that turns darker as it fills with blood.

How to get rid of ticks on dogs?

Following the steps below should allow you to remove a tick from your dog safely:

• Groom your dog regularly to check for infestations.
• If you do find a tick NEVER try to pull or scrape it off using your fingernails.
• Instead, buy a claw-shaped tick remover tool from your daytime vet or local pet shop.
• Follow the instructions carefully.
• Be sure not to break off the head of the tick so it’s left under the skin.
• If you do break off the head by accident call your vet for advice.

Disposing of ticks on dogs

Once you’ve successfully managed to remove the tick from your dog, be sure to have a sealed jar or container on hand to place it in. Ticks carry dangerous diseases and should be killed and disposed of carefully. You should also clean the affected area on your dog thoroughly. If you have any concerns, talk to your vet immediately.

How to prevent ticks on dogs

If you walk in areas likely to be infested by ticks, such as woodland, heathland and moor, then speak to your vet as there are many products available that repel and kill ticks.

Where do ticks live?

Ticks in the UK are typically found in grassland, scrub, shrubs and on low-hanging tree branches. They tend to climb on board an animal when they brush against them.

There is some evidence to suggest an increasing prevalence of the tiny blood-sucking creatures in the UK. This is probably a result of climate change, and the increased movement of people and their pets between countries.

How long do ticks survive?

Female ticks lay eggs each spring. They can lay around 2000, which are tiny (0.7mm long). After laying their eggs, female ticks shrivel and die. Tick eggs hatch as six-legged larvae in the summer of the same year they are laid. They’re about the size of a full stop.

The larvae remain inactive until the following spring when they climb grass shoots or trees and wait for a host such as a dog, cat, mouse, squirrel, rabbit, bird, deer, cow or sheep to pass. They then spend up to a week sucking the blood of their host, before falling to the ground.

A year later they re-emerge to search for another host to latch on to. This time they feed for up to 11 days before detaching and falling to the ground. At this point, the tick matures into an adult.

Once again, the tick will remain inactive until the following spring, when they’ll start their third and final search for another host. Once they find it, adult female ticks will feed for between eight and 12 days. During this feeding frenzy, their weight will increase by as much as 100 times before they lay their eggs and die off. The three-year tick cycle will then start all over again.