Everyone has experienced that post-hike anxiety when you realize that your dog seems to have a bug bite, or worse, seems to have attracted an unwanted guest. Your mind races. You’ve heard that the past few summers have been especially bad tick seasons, and you worry that your dog has a tick bite. You know that tick bites, if not taken care of quickly, can lead to infection and disease for your dog. This can be an extremely stressful realization for many dog owners, but not to worry, there are still plenty of options and actions you can take to ensure your dog is healthy again.
How To Identify a Tick
Firstly, it’s important to verify that your pooch does, in fact, have a tick bite. We recommend checking after walks, hikes, or extended time outdoors with your dog, especially during the summer months. If your dog has a dark coat or longer fur, the tick may be more difficult to spot until it begins feeding and is engorged. Run your hand gently through the dog’s fur with latex gloves and feel for anything that might seem like a pimple. It may be easy to identify if the tick is still attached to the dog. In that case, one only needs to know what a tick looks like to know if it is a tick bite.
If it is solely a bite on your dog, then you should be looking for a red mark with a circular, red ring around that bite, like a target.
How to Remove a Tick from a Dog
With latex gloves, gently pull the tick upwards off of your dog. Make sure not to twist the tick while pulling, however, as you risk the head coming off and staying stuck in the skin, which could lead to infection if not removed. If this does happen, use a pair of tweezers or a tick-removal kit to take the head off.
3 Best Flea and Tick Meds For Dogs
One of the best ways to combat the consequences of tick bites is to prevent them. There are a variety of medicines that can help to repel ticks (as well as other pests, such as heartworm and fleas). By feeding these pills to your dog during the summer months, when tick season is at its height, you could be preventing infection or disease in your furry best friend.
Pay the Vet a Visit
As always, it’s important to go to your vet to have your dog taken care of. If there is a tick bite, they will likely need to prescribe an antibiotic for the infection and screen for any other potential diseases.
