Vet's Orders: How to Inspect and Remove Ticks from Your Dog

Sr. Maya Munster, BVN

Regular body checks are essential for your dog’s health, as certain tick species can transmit serious diseases. After any outdoor activity, perform a thorough inspection by running your hands over your dog's body, feeling for small bumps ranging from the size of a sesame seed to a pea. Use your fingers like a comb to check deep within the fur. Pay special attention to dark, hidden areas where ticks often hide. These areas include under the collar, between the toes, inside the groin, under armpits, and sometimes around the eyelids.

If you identify an embedded tick, it must be removed carefully to ensure the entire parasite is extracted. Using tweezers or a dedicated tick removal tool, grip the tick by the head as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with slow, firm pressure. Avoid twisting the tweezers, squeezing the tick's body, or using ineffective methods like matches or topical ointments to force it to "reverse out". Once removed, place the tick in rubbing alcohol to kill it, and you may clean the attachment site with a disinfectant and a small amount of antibiotic ointment.