Ethos Veterinary Health
  • Veterinary Teams
    • Submit a Referral
    • Hospital Updates
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • Veterinary Compounding
    • VetBloom CE
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Clinical Studies
    • Emergency/Critical Care + Specialty Hospitals
    • Veterinary Urgent Care Clinics
  • Our Hospitals
    • NORTHEAST
      • Boston West
      • Bulger
      • Capital District
      • Mass Vet
      • Peak
      • Port City
      • SAVES
    • MIDWEST
      • Premier – Chicago
      • Premier – Grayslake
      • Premier – Orland Park
      • WVRC – Grafton
      • WVRC – Racine/Kenosha
      • WVRC – Waukesha
    • PACIFIC
      • Atlantic Street
      • VERC
      • Vista
      • VSH – North County
      • VSH – Sorrento Valley
    • URGENT CARE – East Coast
      • Station Landing, Medford MA
      • COMING SOON – Nashua, NH
    • URGENT CARE – West Coast
      • Irvine, CA
      • Oceanside, CA
      • Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, CA
  • Our Services
    • Continuing Education
    • Blood Donor Program
    • Clinical Studies
      • FAQs: Clinical Studies at Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Ethos Science Consultancy
    • VetBloom CE
    • Hospital Services
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Why Ethos
    • Veterinary Urgent Care by Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Leadership Team
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDCast
    • Diagnosing Inequality Podcast
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Employee Benefits
    • Giving Back
    • Veterinary Training Programs
Ethos Veterinary Health
  • Our Hospitals
    • NORTHEAST
      • Boston West
      • Bulger
      • Capital District
      • Mass Vet
      • Peak
      • Port City
      • SAVES
    • MIDWEST
      • Premier – Chicago
      • Premier – Grayslake
      • Premier – Orland Park
      • WVRC – Grafton
      • WVRC – Racine/Kenosha
      • WVRC – Waukesha
    • PACIFIC
      • Atlantic Street
      • VERC
      • Vista
      • VSH – North County
      • VSH – Sorrento Valley
    • URGENT CARE – East Coast
      • Station Landing, Medford MA
      • COMING SOON – Nashua, NH
    • URGENT CARE – West Coast
      • Irvine, CA
      • Oceanside, CA
      • Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, CA
  • Our Services
    • Continuing Education
    • Blood Donor Program
    • Clinical Studies
      • FAQs: Clinical Studies at Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Ethos Science Consultancy
    • VetBloom CE
    • Hospital Services
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Why Ethos
    • Veterinary Urgent Care by Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Leadership Team
    • Press Releases
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDCast
    • Diagnosing Inequality Podcast
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Employee Benefits
    • Giving Back
    • Veterinary Training Programs
  • Veterinary Teams
    • Submit a Referral
    • Hospital Updates
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • Veterinary Compounding
    • VetBloom CE
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Clinical Studies
    • Emergency/Critical Care + Specialty Hospitals
    • Veterinary Urgent Care Clinics

Our Blogs

Where, How, and Why You Should Check Dogs For Ticks

March 24, 2016

Written by Audrey Jenkins

Whether your dog spends hours outside or merely  leaves the comfort of your home for a bathroom break, it is absolutely imperative that you conduct thorough tick checks following every outing. Although there are many tick preventative medications, no medication will provide complete protection and checking your pet is still considered a key aspect of tick prevention. Veterinarians suggest that these  checks should include the entirety of your dog’s body, including these  harder-to-reach areas:

  • Underneath the armpits
  • Between the toes
  • Around the tail
  • Behind and inside the ears
Finding and removing ticks

Ticks can be surprisingly difficult to locate, so be sure to brush your fingers carefully through your pet’s fur. You’ll need to use a reasonable amount of pressure in order to feel the small bumps created by embedded ticks. These ticks can vary significantly in size  based on their species and how long they’ve been attached. Be  prepared to encounter an insect as small as a pinpoint or as large as a blueberry.  You can use a tick spoon or tweezers to grasp the tick and pull it from your pet’s skin. It does require a small amount of force and if you are having any trouble you can always call your local veterinary hospital and a technician or doctor can assist you.

Tick checks are by no means enjoyable, but they are definitely important; ticks carry a number of dangerous diseases, and the last thing you want is for your dog to contract Ehrlichia or Lyme disease. Ticks can transmit diseases in as little as 6 hours and up to 48 hours. This makes it all the more important to check your pet after every excursion outdoors. Not only can some of these illnesses cause extreme discomfort for your dog, they may even lead to death in very extreme cases. Ticks can also transfer from your dog to your bed/furniture/other pets and even you.

If a tick borne disease is transmitted to your pet, it can take up to 6 months for it to present signs. If you notice your pet become lethargic or lame in any or all limbs, call and make an appointment with your veterinarian. These diseases are best treated when signs appear with a long course of antibiotics. Most cases see improvement within 48 hours after starting the medicine.

What about cats?

It is good to mention that cats can also get ticks and they should be removed as soon as possible. Cats, however, do not have the same threat of developing tick-related illness as dogs do.

Prevention

It is best practice to prevent your pet, dog or cat, from picking up ticks. The best way to do this is with flea and tick preventatives. These can be in collar form, an oral chewable, or a topical liquid that is applied in between your pet’s shoulder blades on the skin after parting the fur or hair. Talk to your veterinarian about what type and brand is best for your pet’s lifestyle.

 

Next time your dog returns from an outdoor excursion, conduct a thorough search — the brief time commitment is worth the additional years of fun with your pooch and money saved on disease treatment!

Share

Related Posts

  • Choosing the Best Flea, Tick, and Mosquito Bite Prevention Medication for Your Pet
    Read Article
  • Lyme disease: What is it?
    Read Article
  • Lyme Disease: Ticks
    Read Article
  • Lyme Disease: The Disease and Symptoms
    Read Article
  • Lyme Disease: Prevention
    Read Article
  • Can Flea Control be Toxic?
    Read Article
Ethos Veterinary Health
  • Veterinary Teams
    • Submit a Referral
    • Hospital Updates
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • Veterinary Compounding
    • VetBloom CE
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Clinical Studies
    • Emergency/Critical Care + Specialty Hospitals
    • Veterinary Urgent Care Clinics
© 2023 Ethos Veterinary Health
Website Design by Jackrabbit