How to Check Your Dog for Ticks

How to Check Your Dog for Ticks

Ticks are small insect parasites that feed on the blood meals of dogs and other mammals.  The most common tick species found in Phoenix, AZ, the Brown Dog tick, carries and transmits a common infectious disease, Ehrlichia canis, Tick Fever.  Ticks are so common, people sometimes dismiss them as a concern, but it’s so important for pet parents to take ticks seriously. To protect your dog from tick-borne disease, it’s important you know where to be checking for ticks and effective measures to prevent ticks.

Where should you be checking for ticks, and how often?

The most important  places to check your dog include:

  • Between the toes
  • Inside the ears and around the ear folds
  • Under the chin and neck area
  • Groin and armpits
  • Around the tail base and anus

Any places that look like good hiding spots probably are! Remember to always part the hair as much as you can to get the deepest and closest look. You should be checking your pup any time he/she could have come into contact with parasites, especially after outdoor activities such as hiking or swimming.

When you manually remove a tick, make sure to remove the tick at it’s attachment to the skin.  The mouthparts of a tick can remain in the skin if you pull off the tick by the body.

When should you be using tick preventives?

The simple answer to this is always.  Did you know that ticks are not just a spring and summer problem? You might be surprised to learn that ticks are prevalent year-round.  We have shifted our prevention methods away from the topical pesticide applications.  We have found that they were less effective and tend to cause more adverse reactions at the site of application.  We now use an oral (systemic) tick treatment and preventative that is over 93% effective and lasts for 3 months!

Talk with a veterinarian at Laveen Veterinary Center so that we can make a recommendation that best fits your dog's lifestyle and environment. Call us at 602-559-9600 or book online.