I love almost everything about the outdoors. Everything with the exception of ticks. My dog Charlie feels the same way. Unfortunately for Charlie and me, the great outdoors is exactly where ticks live. The good news is that I don’t let these pesky bloodsuckers keep me and Charlie from getting outside to camp, hike, and explore the world. There are plenty of ways to avoid and prevent tick bites. Let’s take a closer look.

What is a tick?

Ticks belong to a group of animals known as arachnids and are closely related to spiders, scorpions, and mites. Unlike some parasites that live inside the body of a host, ticks are ectoparasites, which means they live on the outside of their host. Fleas, lice, and bed bugs are also examples of ectoparasites. A tick survives by latching on to the outside of a host and plunging a sword-like structure, called the hypostome, into the host’s skin. Ticks feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. They thrive in warm, humid environments and typically live in grassy, wooded areas.

What do ticks look like?

Ticks are very small creatures, typically 3 to 5 mm long, and can be gray, brown, redish-brown, black, or yellowish in color. Depending on the life stage, they can have anywhere from six to eight legs. Their bodies are flat and oval in appearance until they have had a blood meal. After a meal, they become engorged with blood and swell up many times their previous size.

How are ticks dangerous to dogs?

While ticks themselves typically only cause mild irritations to your dog's skin, the real danger is in the multitude of diseases they spread that pose a much more serious threat. A single tick can harbor am abundance of different diseases at the same time. It is not unusual for a dog that catches one tick borne disease, to have caught others simultaneously.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is one of the most widely known illnesses associated with ticks. It is spread through the bite of Black-legged ticks via a bacteria known as Spirochete. It can cause arthritis and swelling in your dog's joints, making it difficult and painful for them to walk or move.

Studies have shown that a tick normally has to be attached to its host for at least 36 hours before it can spread Lyme Disease (source). This means the quicker you can spot and remove a tick, the better off you will be. Be sure you take regular breaks to closely examine you and your dog for ticks. Being diligent and proactive is the best line of defense against infection.

Another preventative option is to vaccinate your dog with the Lyme disease vaccine. This could help reduce the risk of your dog contracting Lyme disease but it is not recommended for all dogs. Talk to a veterinarian to see if the Lyme disease vaccine is right for your dog.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a bacterial disease spread through the bite of an infected tick. It can cause fever, vomiting, lameness, and other serious health issues for your dog. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is considered one of the most serious tick-borne illnesses in the United States {source). Ticks that are known to carry the disease include American dog ticks, brown dog ticks, and Rocky Mountain wood ticks.

Other Diseases

Ehrlichiosis - Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial illness transmitted by ticks that causes flu-like symptoms. The signs and symptoms of ehrlichiosis range from mild body aches to severe fever and usually appear within a week or two of a tick bite.
Anaplasmosis - Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease transmitted through bites of the deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick). Infection can cause severe joint pain, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite.
Babesiosis - A disease caused by a single celled parasite known as Babesia. They infect and replicate within red blood cells. Symptoms can remain mild and may go undiagnosed for months to years. It is common for Babesiosis to occur at the same time as Lyme disease.
Tularemia - Tularemia, also known as Rabbit Fever, is a rare infectious disease that attacks the eyes, skin, lungs, and lymph nodes.
Anemia - Although rare, and not technically a disease, a small dog that receives enough tick bites at once could become anemic.

What kind of ticks bite dogs?

Most ticks will bite a dog if given the chance but that doesn’t mean all ticks are created equal. Some are far more dangerous than others. Due to the difference in diseases each species can harbor, the type of tick that bites your dog can really matter. Saving the tick for identification might not be a bad idea. Below are images and descriptions of the most common types of tick you will run into.

Black-Legged (Deer) Tick - Black legged ticks, also known as Deer ticks, live in deciduous forests. They can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis during all of their stages of life. They can remain active all year as long as the temperature remains above freezing.

American Dog Tick - American Dog ticks love to bit dogs but will feed on a variety of hosts. The species has a wide distribution but is most abundant in the eastern United States. They frequent lightly wooded areas and grassy fields. They can transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia. In rare cases, they can cause canine tick paralysis.

Rocky Mountain Wood Tick - Rocky Mountain Wood ticks can be found along trails, open grasslands, and in lightly wooded areas with low growing vegetation. They spread Rocky Mountain Fever to both humans and animals. Their Saliva contains a neurotoxin that can cause paralysis in humans and pets.

Brown Dog Tick - Brown dog ticks will feed on a wide variety of mammals, but dogs are the preferred host. They have a worldwide distribution but are more common in the southern United States. They can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis to your dog. The species is unique among ticks because it can complete its entire lifecycle indoors. Because of this, populations can reach pest proportions in places like houses and dog kennels.

Lone Star Tick - Lone Star ticks live in wooded areas with dense undergrowth. They can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosi, red meat allergy, and Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI). They are aggressive human biters and notorious pests.

How to keep ticks off your dog

Avoid tall grass and densely wooded areas - Ticks are most often found outdoors, in wooded or grassy areas. This is where they sit and wait for a passing host to hitch a ride on. Keeping your dog away from tall grass and densely wooded vegetation is an easy step to greatly decrease the chances of them coming into contact with a tick.

Use a flea and tick medication - Medications such as NexGard and Frontline can be very effective at controlling both ticks and fleas. Any ticks that bite your dog will be quickly killed by the medication. These types of medications typically last around 30 days and must be taken every month. I personally use NexGard as it was recommended to me by both a friend and my veterinarian. You can buy it here from Chewy.com. Make sure you choose the right dosage for your dog’s size and weight.

DEET - Developed by the U.S. Army in 1946, DEET won’t kill ticks but it will help to repel them. The CDC recommends DEET as an effective tick repellent. Other experts recommend DEET as only a second line of defense. Many suggest Permethrin as a more effective form of protection.

Permethrin - Permethrin is an insecticide that can be sprayed on dog collars, backpacks, and other gear. Unlike DEET, Permethrin will kill any ticks that land on you or your dog, usually within just a few minutes. It is typically more effective than DEET and can also be used to protect against fleas and mosquitoes. If you are planning on going somewhere with a serious tick population, this is probably the way to go. A highly rated permethrin spray is the Sawyer Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent. It is available from Amazon here. Permethrin is only to be used for dogs and humans as it can be highly toxic to cats.

Routinely check your dog for ticks - Regularly examining your dog is one of the best ways to prevent them from getting bitten. Ticks are drawn to moist, dark areas of the body. Check closely under your dog’s collar and around their ears. Be sure to inspect their entire body, a tick can attach anywhere. Lightly pat them down and feel for any bumps or lumps. Ticks can be slow to bite and will often take time searching for the perfect place to settle in. Use this to your advantage and check your dog often. Catching a tick early, before it bites, is your best bet at avoiding problems. In the event of a bite, the longer the tick remains attached to your dog, the higher chance they have of catching a tick borne disease. Routine inspection is key. Setting a timer or alarm on your phone that will go off every couple hours is a great way to make sure you don’t forget to do regular tick checks.

What to do if a tick bites your dog

Remove the tick - If prevention fails and you find that a tick has bitten and latched itself to your dog, the best thing to do is to remove the tick. This can be done easily with only simple tools. (See instructions below)

Act quickly - Your dog has a higher chance of catching a tick born disease the longer the tick remains attached (source). Remove the tick as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of your dog becoming infected with such diseases as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.

How to remove a tick from your dog

What you’ll need:

Gloves - So the tick does not come into contact with your skin.
Tweezers or Tick Remover - This is what you’ll use to actually remove the tick. I like this tool from Amazon because it has a tick remover and a fine tipped tweezers all in one tool. The slotted tick remover is good for removing larger ticks while the fine tipped tweezers are perfect for smaller ticks. I recommend keeping something like this in your backpack or first aid kit for camping and hiking.
Rubbing Alcohol - Used to disinfect the bite area.

Using a tick remover

Put on a pair of rubber gloves to avoid contact between your skin and the tick.
Gently press the remover against your pet’s skin near the tick.
Slowly slide the notch of the remover under the tick and pull upward until it comes free.
Inspect the tick and bite area to be sure no tick parts have been left behind. If there are, use tweezers to pick them out.
After removing the tick, thoroughly rinse the bite area and disinfect with rubbing alcohol.

Using tweezers:

Put on a pair of rubber gloves to avoid contact between your skin and the tick.
Using the tweezers, grasp the tick as close to your dog’s skin as possible.
Pull upward in a straight, steady motion. Use even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick.
After removing the tick, thoroughly rinse the bite area and disinfect with rubbing alcohol.

Should I have the tick tested for diseases?

While there are companies and organizations that offer testing of ticks, the CDC does not recommend this approach when trying to diagnose a human or pet. The reasons stated on their website are that both positive and negative test results can be misleading. A tick that tests positive for Lyme Disease does not necessarily mean that you or your dog have been infected. On the other hand, a negative test result does not mean you are in the clear and can lead to a false sense of assurance. That being said, there may be circumstances where you want to have a tick tested.

How to have a tick tested for free

If you do decide that you want to have a tick tested, the Bay Area Lyme Foundation offers free testing. Simply follow these steps.

Place the tick in a small ziploc bag with a moist cotton ball or wet piece of paper towel. Alternatively, you can place the tick in a small vial with alcohol.
Fill out the “Free Tick Testing” submission form at BayAreaLyme.org.
Put the ziploc bag in a small padded envelope and send to:

Nieto Lab
Department of Biological Sciences
617 South Beaver Street
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011.