Your dog enjoys a variety of benefits every time you take them outside, from getting exercise to supporting their bone and muscle formation. However, any time you take your dog outdoors you can also expose them to ticks. These parasitic insects can easily attach to your dog’s coat or skin during play.

It’s important that you find and remove ticks from your dog as quickly as possible to help them avoid the negative health impacts these insects can yield. If ticks remain on a dog’s body, they can root and cause fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and other problems. Your dog might even develop anemia—a red blood cell deficiency—if a tick drinks enough blood.

Removing ticks from your dog’s body can also protect you from exposure. Ticks can affect humans in a variety of negative ways, causing swelling or blisters. If left unchecked, tick bites can result in fever and even Lyme disease.

If your dog leads a vigorous outdoor lifestyle, or if you live in a densely wooded area, ticks might be unavoidable. To help prevent ticks and the negative consequences they can impose on both you and your dog, follow the strategies below.


1. Learn to Identify Ticks


Before you can remove a tick, you’ll need to know what it looks like. Fortunately, ticks have several distinctive features that make them fairly easy to identify.

They generally have an oval shape with a large abdomen and small head. Look for eight total legs, four on each side of the body. Tick legs are usually curved and can have small claws on the ends. Ticks will have no antennae. 


2. Look for Ticks


When you come inside after playtime with your dog is over, take some time to check their body for ticks. Make sure your dog is comfortable before you start your search, as the examination process can sometimes take several minutes.

Run your fingers slowly over your dog’s body, pulling apart hair to search the skin. Take your time when looking for ticks, as they will often hide behind your dog’s features or inside thick tufts of hair.

Check the following locations on your dog’s body for ticks: 

  • Inside and outside the ears
  • On paw pads and between each toe
  • Around the tail
  • Near both eyes and eyelids
  • Under the collar and around the neck
  • Between and behind each leg
  • Near the underbelly and buttocks 

 

3. Gather Your Equipment


To remove a tick, you’ll need the right supplies. It’s not advised to remove a tick with your bare hands. Instead, use tick-specific tools that were made for the job.

You should use one or more of the following dog grooming supplies when removing a tick:

You should also have one or more dog treats on hand, since the tick removal process can sometimes feel invasive for your dog. Reward them with a favorite treat or toy while you examine them and remove any ticks you find. 


4. Remove the Tick


Once you have examined your dog’s body and found one or more ticks, it’s time to remove them. Tick removal is a fairly straightforward process. After obtaining the necessary tools and sanitizing them, make sure your dog is comfortable and relaxed. If you’re just returning from an outdoor play session, it might take your dog a few minutes to calm down.

When removing a tick, it's best to use either tweezers or a tick removal device.

Using Tweezers

Many pet parents use tweezers to fully remove a tick from their pet. To remove a tick using tweezers, grasp the tick between both tweezers as close to your dog’s skin as possible. Once you have a firm grip on the tick, pull straight upwards without any twisting. This should separate the tick from your dog.

Sometimes, part of the tick might remain on your dog after you remove the tick’s body. If this happens, go back and remove any tick debris with the tweezers, using the method above.

Using a Tick Remover

Different tick removers operate in different ways. Some are shaped like tweezers, while others resemble nail clippers or small picks. Be sure to follow the instructions that come with your specific tick removal device.

In general, tick removers operate similarly to tweezers. With a firm, non-aggressive grip on your furry friend, apply the tick removal device to the skin or coat. Keep the tick remover as close to the surface of your dog’s skin as possible. Work the tick remover under the insect until you have pried it free from your dog. Pull upward to fully remove the tick from your dog. 


5. Clean Up


Regular dog grooming is important for your pooch, especially after contact with a tick. You’ll want to clean your dog’s bite with soap and water, or with rubbing alcohol. While your dog might be initially resistant to your cleaning efforts, it’s important that you sanitize their skin to allow the healing process to begin.

You may also want to clean and sanitize the tools you used to remove the tick.

After you have safely removed the tick from your dog, take some time to clean any part of yourself that might have touched the tick. This can include your fingers, hands, or arms. Thoroughly wash these areas of your body with soap and water to help remove any traces of the tick or any diseases it may have been carrying. 


6. Kill the Tick


It's also important that you dispose of the tick after removing it from your dog's body. Though you might feel inclined to release a tick back into the wild, killing it is actually the best way to prevent it from infecting you or your dog in the future.

Dropping the tick into alcohol is the fastest way to kill it. Wait until the tick has stopped moving before removing it from the alcohol and disposing of it safely.

Do not try to flush the tick down the toilet, as this will not necessarily kill it. In addition, do not try to crush the tick between your fingers. This can subject you to contagious illnesses that the tick might be carrying.

If you suspect your dog might develop a reaction to the tick bite, contact your veterinarian and show them the tick after you remove it. If your dog develops any concerning symptoms, your veterinarian can develop a treatment plan based on the type of tick responsible for the bite.


7. Practice Tick Prevention


The best way to prevent tick bites is through proactive prevention. Even if exposure to ticks is unavoidable due to your location or lifestyle, you can help protect your pet from ticks and tick bite symptoms.

You can also protect your property from ticks with chemical applicants, applied regularly to kill local tick populations. Build walls or barriers around your property with woodchips, gravel, or other non-organic materials for a pesticide-free approach to tick prevention.

In situations where ticks are especially prevalent, you can also choose to vaccinate your dog for Lyme disease. 

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