How to Tell if Your Dog Has Ticks

It's important to protect your dog from ticks and the diseases that these potentially dangerous pests spread. Many vets recommend topical preventatives for ticks, but it's still up to the dog owner to tell if their dog has ticks. Use the following to learn how to properly check if your dog has ticks.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Check your dog regularly for ticks that can burrow down in his fur. Use your fingers to run through the dog's fur or hair. Work your fingers down to the skin while you feel and rub slowly so that you will not miss any small bumps that might actually be a tick trying to hide. Part the dog's fur to see the skin, especially if your dog is a breed that has long fur, such as a collie, German shepherd or husky. Dogs with shorter hair such as Chihuahuas or groomed poodles will be much easier to check for ticks. The ticks are commonly brown or black in color, which can make them hard to spot against the color of many dogs' fur.

2. Take extra care to examine each area of your dog's body after walks in the woods or other areas where ticks thrive. Start with the visible areas, and look at your dog's feet to check for ticks. Move the fur all around to feel up and down the leg as well. Be sure to spread the dog's toes to check out the area between each toe, as this is a prime area for ticks to hide.

3. Feel all around your dog's head, starting with her mouth or muzzle area. Dogs sniff everything, and that nose to the ground can pick up many ticks while out on a walk. Work your way down the dog's neck and under her chin, searching and feeling in and out of all the folds in this area. Keep going down with your inspection to the chest area and check carefully behind and under the legs for ticks that are hiding.

4. Fold back the dog's ears to see inside the ear opening. Use your fingers to feel gently around this area if your dog has lots of fur or his skin color could disguise a hiding tick. Separate the fur on the outside of the ear and check up under the ear as well for ticks.

5. Work your fingers down the spine of your dog, along the sides and up under the tummy area. Have your dog flip over on her back so you can really examine her underside.

6. Give your dog a bath as a part of a regular grooming routine. This also helps you check them for ticks. When the dog is wet, it is much easier to see his skin and any ticks trying to hide. This is a good time to check between those toes and look at his ears.

7. Look for abnormal behavior from your dog to signal that a tick may be bothering her. Watch for dogs that shake their ears, scratch oddly, bite themselves or just seem restless. Dogs will chew on their own feet until they bleed if they have a tick between their toes.

Tips & Warnings

• Make checking for ticks a regular routine with your dog, so he learns to tolerate the examination and even enjoy the attention he gets from it.

• Take measures recommended by your vet to remove any tick you find.

• Ticks that embed deeply into your dog's skin may need medical attention to assure that an infection has not spread.