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Places On Your Dog You’re Most Likely to Find Ticks
When your dog has been walking in the woods or playing in your yard, it’s always smart to do a quick tick check to see if you find any of the unwelcome parasites on your pup.
Ticks attach themselves to animals and people. While they feed on their host’s blood, they can transmit diseases into their host’s body. These diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. These diseases can be spread to people, so tick bites can threaten anyone in your home.
“It is best to do a thorough tick check on your pet as well as yourself as soon as you both return from a tick-friendly area,” says Kathleen Claussen, DVM, a small animal veterinary practitioner. “It can take some ticks only a few hours to pass disease. Examining the entire dog using a small flashlight can be very helpful.”
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Hitching a Ride
Ticks can’t fly or jump, so they have to be clever about how they hitch a ride. Ticks often climb to the highest point of a shrub or blade of grass that they can reach. They perch there, holding on with their back legs and with their front legs extended. When a potential host – like a person or animal – brushes by, they grab on and look for a place to attach. They’re sensing breath, body smells, body heat, moisture, and vibrations.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Tall Grasses and Weeds
Ticks can only climb to about 18 to 24 inches from the ground. That’s the perfect height for tall grasses and weeds. They’ll crawl to the tops and wait for a chance to ambush a host. Mow your lawn regularly and remove weeds around your yard to make it harder for ticks to lurk and pounce. Keep pets (and people) out of tall, grassy areas where ticks hang out.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Leaf Litter
Dead leaves – called leaf litter – are an easy place for ticks to hide. Because piles are on the ground, ticks move from them to animals and humans walking through the yard. You can rake your leaves to remove that perfect tick-friendly habitat. But make sure you don't just blow them to the edge of your lawn and leave them. The place where lawn and woods meet is an ideal environment for ticks to thrive.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Edges of Wooded Areas
To keep ticks from hanging out at the edge of the lawn, create a natural barrier. Make a three-foot buffer of wood chips or gravel between your grass and any wooded areas. Ticks don’t like to cross over dry areas. The barrier will make it hard for ticks to move into the parts of your yard that you and your pets use the most.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Bushes and Shrubs
Bushes and shrubs give ticks a place to practice their ambush strategy. Certain varieties are a great habitat for deer or rodents, so ticks can find an easy meal. Bush honeysuckle, for example, is a popular hangout for deer. Mice nest in barberry bushes, and ticks love the high humidity underneath. They find shelter and dinner there.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
In the Shade
Most ticks prefer shady areas. They like being under tree canopies and in flower beds where they can avoid too much sun and heat. Shade from overgrown plants gives them a safe place to hide. When an animal comes into the shade for a rest, the ticks are able to move onto their bodies as they brush by.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Damp Areas
Most ticks prefer humid, moist areas, which help keep them from drying out. That’s why they like to stay in piles of leaves or in underbrush where it’s damp and cool. They are less active when it’s very dry. When ticks are out in the open where it’s dry and hot, they can dry out so much that they die. A couple of kinds of ticks (brown dog ticks and spinose ear ticks) can thrive in hotter, dryer conditions, like in the South Central and Southwestern U.S.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Ground Cover
Ground cover gives ticks a damp, cool place to thrive, too. It also offers a refuge for rodents as they hunt for food. When the rodents head for cover, it becomes easy for ticks to find an animal to latch on to. If possible, remove ground cover in areas where pets and people tend to hang out.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Stone Walls
Ticks often live around stone walls, particularly those that aren’t well-cared-for and are surrounded by weeds and brush. These overgrown walls can give shelter to mice and other small animals that carry ticks. To make the area less tick-friendly, seal stone walls and fill in the gaps with smaller stones. Keep the area free of leaves, weeds, and grasses.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Furniture and Trash
Ticks also find shelter in things like old lawn furniture, discarded mattresses, and outdoor trash. Get rid of any of those items that you’re not using. Move lawn furniture away from the edges of the yard and far from trees to discourage ticks from staying there.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Tick Check
If your pet has been in tall grass, wooded areas, or any of the places where ticks thrive, be sure to check them for ticks. Check areas like the head and ears, tail, paws, and under their collar. If you find a tick, slowly remove the entire tick – including the head – with tweezers that are as close to the skin as possible. It’s a good idea to wear gloves when you do this. Because ticks can transmit disease, if you see any behavior changes in your pet, like appetite or energy changes, call your vet.
Where Ticks Thrive Outdoors
Prevention
You can regularly give tick prevention to your pet to keep ticks away. Prevention is available in many forms, including collars, topical liquids, and oral chews. They work by repelling ticks, keeping them from attaching, or killing them quickly when they latch on. Most are given monthly, and it’s important to use them year-round.
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Where to Check Your Dog for Ticks
Ticks generally attach by going from grass, shrubs, or other plants when your dog or another host brushes by. Although they can be found anywhere on your pet, they often prefer places they can hide, like in your dog’s ear or between your pup’s toes.
Sometimes your dog can give you a clue that ticks are hanging around. But not always.
“Scratching or licking at a particular area or shaking their head can be an indication of a problem, so look closely for anything out of the ordinary,” says Amy Flowers, DVM, associate veterinarian at a small animal practice. “A lot of times, dogs don't even seem to notice ticks, so still check your dog even if they are acting normal.”
Where Ticks Hide
Ticks can be hard to spot just by simply looking.
“Ticks vary in size and can be very tiny and seed-like or larger and more obvious,” Flowers says. “Use soft pressure and run your fingers along your dog, feeling for any bumps. Inspect any bump to see if it’s a tick.”
It’s very important that you know what your dog’s fur and body usually look like, so you’ll be able to more easily spot a tick.
“Regular grooming is important so you know what is ‘normal’ for your pet,” says Claussen. “This will help prevent a bump, scab, skin tag, or nipple from being mistaken as a tick.”
8 Areas to Check Your Dog for Ticks
Ears. Dogs stick their noses everywhere, so it’s easy for ticks to hitch a ride on their heads. Look around the outside of their ears as well as inside. You might notice your dog shaking its head or pawing at its ears. This could be a sign of a latched-on tick.
Eyes. It can be easy to miss a tick around the eyelid because it might look just like eye gunk. Be very careful when removing ticks near the eyes.
Under the collar. You likely leave your dog’s collar on all the time, so it can be easy to miss a tick hidden underneath. Take off or lift up the collar to check the area.
Feet. When dogs are walking through ground cover or tall grass, it’s easy for ticks to latch on to their feet. Look for them between your pup’s toes or nestled in between their paw pads. You might notice your dog biting or licking their feet, which could mean a tick is buried in their paws.
Tail. Check the entire length of the tail, especially the underside, where ticks are easier to miss.
Armpits. It’s dark and moist where your dog’s legs meet their body. Do a thorough check of this armpit area for stowaways.
Groin. It’s also tick-friendly between your dog’s back legs in the groin. It’s an area you probably don’t usually see and definitely a key spot to check.
Fur. Run your hand through your dog’s coat, feeling for any unusual bumps. Be sure to check their legs, torso, and neck. You can use a flea comb to catch ticks in thick fur or on puppies that are too young for other types of prevention.
What if You Find a Tick?
If you find a tick on your dog, remove it right away. Always wear disposable gloves to make sure the tick doesn’t touch your skin.
Don’t use a hot match, petroleum jelly, or any other folk remedy to remove the tick. Instead use tweezers or a tick removal tool.
Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your dog’s body as possible. Be careful not to pinch your dog’s skin. Pull it out slowly in a straight, smooth motion. Try not to squeeze the tick so that it releases any fluids.
You can also use a tick remover gadget that works to safely remove a tick. These are spoons or little hooked-shaped devices that help you pull out the tick. You slide the notch around the tick to pull it off.
Drop the tick in a small jar or zip-top bag filled with rubbing alcohol. Mark the date you found it and keep an eye on your dog for any unusual symptoms. Wipe your dog’s skin with antiseptic, like alcohol, and keep an eye on the area for any reaction.
When you’re finished, clean the tweezers with alcohol and wash your hands well. You may also want to reach out to your vet. If you go, take the tick with you to help ID what kind it was.
“If you see signs of infection, it is good to see your vet,” says Claussen. “If your pet is not feeling well following the finding of a tick/ticks, or if your pet is infested with many ticks, it would be best to consult with a veterinarian immediately to determine the best course of action.”
