Care Advice

Tick season is upon us!

Checking your pet regularly for ticks will help to ensure a happy and healthy dog. 

• Ticks can cause disease by transmitting bacteria and microbes when they bite an animal or human
• They are common in woodland, grassland and heath areas
• Always check your dog and yourself for ticks after a walk and remove them quickly

Spotting ticks on your dog

You will be able to visibly spot a tick.  After a walk, run your hands over your dog’s body and check for lumps or bumps.  A tick will feel like a small bump on your pet’s skin.  The most common areas ticks tend to attach themselves is around a dog’s head, neck, ear, and feet.  Brushing also helps to remove them.  Ticks look like tiny spiders that vary in size between 1 mm and 1 cm long, with a whiteish, egg-shaped body that becomes larger and darker as it fills with blood. 

Removing a tick

Ask your vet for advice.  Spread your dog’s fur, then grasp the tick with fine-point tweezers as closely to the skin as possible.  Avoid tearing the tick and very gently, pull straight upward, in a slow, steady motion adding pressure until the tick lets you pull it away from the skin.  Clean the bite area and your hands.

Many pet stores and veterinary clinics will have special tick removal devices that you can keep on hand.