18 Feb What to do if you Find a Tick on Your Dog?

If your dog spends a lot of time or even all day outdoors, you need to check for ticks every day. In many places in the United States, including Fairfield County, ticks may be active all year-round, even in the winter season. You may be able to spot any ticks on your dog. However, you should never have to worry about these ticks on your dog. Here are several steps that you need to do after you find ticks on your dog.

Steps to Take When You Identify Ticks on Your Dog

a. Check the ticks

Ticks can be tan, brown, or black. They usually have eight legs and they have a very tiny body. You need to scan the whole body of your dog, so you can find some ticks that may hide in certain parts of your dog. You can check on your dog’s toes, legs, torso, ears, chin, neck, and all around the face. It will ensure that you can find any hidden ticks on your dog’s body.

b. Remove the ticks safely

Once you notice ticks on your dog’s body, you can start removing these ticks safely. Prepare some necessary equipment for removing these ticks, for example clean tweezers, tick remover, gloves, disinfectant, etc. It is very important for you to wear gloves for handling ticks, so you can prevent them from getting access to your skin.

c. Complete the tick removal procedure

You can drop the ticks into the isopropyl alcohol. Don’t forget to take a note on when you find the ticks. When your dog starts displaying some tick-borne symptoms, you may bring your dog to the nearest veterinarian. Some symptoms of the tick bites include swollen joints, fatigue, fever, swollen lymph nodes, reluctance to move, loss of appetite, etc. Wash your hands and the dog’s wound area with antiseptic for killing any bacteria from the ticks.

Types of Ticks That Can Bite Dogs

Although there are more than 15 tick species in North America, only few of them are likely to be found on your dog. Some popular types of ticks that can bite dogs include brown dog tick, black-legged tick, American dog tick, and also the lone star tick.

The American dog ticks are the most common ticks that will attack humans and dogs. Their adults are able to stay on the dog’s skin for a long time. They can be found around Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and also eastern part of the United States.

What Happens to Your Dogs When They are Bitten

When your dogs are bitten by ticks, they may develop small bumps on the skin. They may scratch and itch the wound area frequently. It will cause irritation on the skin. The skin may be red and inflamed when it is not treated well. You can feel the small bumps by rubbing your dog’s skin.

They will also show some symptoms of getting tick bites, for example reluctance to move and loss of appetite. Your dogs may develop some symptoms of the Lyme disease. This is a serious bacterial infection that can be caused by the ticks. When you notice any unusual symptoms on your dog, you need to meet your veterinarian as soon as possible. Some dogs may be sensitive to Lyme disease and they will start showing serious problems on their health.

Call a Professional Tick Spraying Company

When you find any ticks on your dog’s skin, you may notice that it will be the best time for you to call a professional tick spraying company. This service will help you get rid of any ticks that may still be available around your property. You can protect your family and your pets by using this service now. It is highly recommended for you to hire this service at least once a year for solving any tick issues in your property.