Ticks on Dogs: Safe Removal and Prevention
Ticks on dogs: how to remove a tick safely step by step, what not to do, signs of tick-borne disease, and how to prevent ticks on your dog and home.
Health guide
Not a substitute for a vet. If your animal is unwell, in pain or getting worse, contact a qualified veterinarian straight away.
Quick answer
To get a tick off a dog, grip it as close to the skin as you can with fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool, then pull or twist it out steadily without squeezing its body. Don't burn it, cover it in oil or yank it. Ticks can spread serious diseases. Check your dog daily in tick season and use a vet-recommended tick preventive. If your dog becomes lethargic or feverish, or shows unusual bleeding, see a vet.
What ticks are
Ticks are small parasites related to spiders. They wait on grass, shrubs and walls, climb onto an animal as it passes, and bite to feed on blood for several days. An unfed tick can be as small as a sesame seed. A fully fed female can swell to the size of a small bean, around 1 cm (about 3/8 inch) or more.
The real problem is that ticks can pass on infections while they feed. As a rule, the sooner a tick comes off, the lower the chance it passes anything on. That is why a daily check is worth the few minutes it takes.
How to check your dog
Run your fingers slowly over your dog's whole body, feeling for small bumps. Pay particular attention to:
- Inside and around the ears
- Around the eyes and on the head and neck
- Under the collar
- Armpits and groin
- Between the toes and pads
- Under the tail and around the bottom
Do this after walks in grass, fields or woodland, and daily during warm months.
How to remove a tick safely
You will need: fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal hook, gloves if available, antiseptic or mild soap and water, and a small sealed container.
- Keep your dog calm and still. Ask someone to help hold and reassure it.
- Part the fur so you can see where the tick enters the skin.
- Grip the tick close to the skin, at its head or mouthparts, not by its swollen body.
- Remove it steadily.
- With tweezers: pull straight out with slow, even pressure. Don't jerk.
- With a tick hook: slide the hook under the tick and twist gently as instructed on the tool until it releases.
- Don't squeeze, crush or puncture the tick's body.
- Clean the bite area with antiseptic or soap and water, and wash your hands.
- Keep the tick in a sealed container or bag for a few weeks, or take a clear photo. If your dog becomes ill, your vet may want to identify it.
- Dispose of it safely afterwards, for example by sealing it in tape. Avoid crushing ticks with your fingers.
It is common to see a small red bump at the bite site for a few days afterwards. Keep an eye on it.
What not to do
- Don't burn the tick with a match or cigarette.
- Don't smother it with oil, petroleum jelly, alcohol, kerosene or nail polish.
- Don't twist and pull with fingers or squeeze the body.
- Don't use dog tick products on cats. Some contain permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats.
Tick-borne diseases
Which diseases you need to worry about depends a lot on where you live. Examples include:
| Disease | Spread by | Possible signs |
|---|---|---|
| Ehrlichiosis | Mainly the brown dog tick | Fever, lethargy, weight loss, nosebleeds, bruising, pale gums |
| Babesiosis | Several tick species | Weakness, pale or yellow gums, dark urine, fever |
| Anaplasmosis | Some tick species | Fever, joint pain, lameness, lethargy |
| Lyme disease | Certain ticks in some regions | Lameness that shifts between legs, swollen joints, fever |
| Hepatozoonosis | Swallowing infected ticks | Fever, muscle pain, weakness |
In some parts of the world, certain ticks cause tick paralysis. It starts with wobbly back legs and a change in the bark or breathing, and it is an emergency.
Tick-borne illness can show up days to weeks after a bite, sometimes much later. Your vet can test for the diseases common in your area.
When to see a vet
Contact your vet promptly if your dog:
- Is lethargic, off its food, or has a fever after a tick bite or during tick season
- Has pale, white or yellowish gums
- Has nosebleeds, unusual bruising, or blood in urine or stools
- Has dark or red-brown urine
- Becomes lame, stiff or reluctant to move
- Shows weakness or wobbliness in the back legs, or difficulty breathing (emergency)
- Has a bite site that becomes very swollen, hot, painful or infected
- Has many ticks you cannot safely remove, especially a puppy
Preventing ticks
Use a vet-recommended preventive
You can get chewable tablets, spot-ons, sprays and collars. Some kill ticks soon after they attach; others repel them. Your vet will pick one to suit your dog's age, weight and health and the parasites in your area, and many products cover fleas as well. Stick carefully to the product schedule and your vet's dosing. Keep it going through the whole tick season, or all year where ticks are active year-round.
Reduce exposure
Around the home, keep grass short and clear away leaf litter and brush. On walks through long grass or woodland in peak season, stay on the paths. And check your dog after every walk in tick-prone areas.
Deal with household and kennel infestations
The brown dog tick is unusual: it can live and breed indoors, in kennels and in cracks in walls and floors. If you keep finding ticks on a dog that rarely goes out:
- Treat all dogs in the household with an effective preventive.
- Vacuum and clean cracks, crevices and bedding thoroughly.
- Check walls near where the dog sleeps.
- Consider professional pest control for heavy infestations, using products safe for pets once dry.
In Pakistan
In much of Pakistan the weather stays warm enough for ticks to be active most of the year. The brown dog tick is common in homes and kennels and on stray dogs. Tick-borne diseases such as ehrlichiosis and babesiosis are recognised in South Asia, so any dog with fever, lethargy, pale gums or bleeding should see a vet promptly. Pet shops sell plenty of tick products. Read the label carefully for the species and weight band, and stay away from livestock pesticides that are not licensed for dogs.
Other parasite basics and daily care are covered in our dog care basics guide. Cat owners can read fleas on cats for cat-safe parasite control.
Frequently asked questions
Should I burn a tick or cover it with oil to make it let go?
No. Burning, oils, petroleum jelly, alcohol or nail polish can harm your dog and may make the tick release more of its saliva into the wound. Remove it with fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool instead.
What if the tick's head stays in the skin?
Small mouthparts left behind are usually pushed out by the body as the skin heals. Clean the area and don't dig at it. Contact your vet if the spot becomes swollen, hot, painful or oozes.
Can ticks infest my house?
Most ticks live outdoors, but the brown dog tick can complete its whole life cycle indoors and in kennels, hiding in cracks and walls. A heavy household infestation usually needs treating all dogs and cleaning the environment, sometimes with professional help.
