Pet Care
How to Check Your Dog for Ticks [Complete Guide]
Ticks can pass Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and other infections to dogs. Several of these usually need the tick to stay attached for a day or more before they pass on, and some can pass sooner, so checking after every walk in tick areas and removing ticks quickly lowers the risk. This guide is general information, not veterinary advice.
Step by step
Check soon after the walk
Ticks often crawl around for a while before they attach, and the sooner an attached tick comes off, the better. Check your dog as soon as you get home from woods, long grass or brush, ideally within the first hour or two. Tick season runs roughly from spring to fall in many regions, but some ticks are active on mild winter days.
Start with the high-risk areas
Ticks tend to settle where the skin is thin and sheltered. Check these spots first: inside and behind the ears, around the eyes, under the collar, between the toes and pads, the armpits, the groin and belly, and under the tail.
Run your hands against the fur
Touch finds ticks that a quick look misses. Run your fingers slowly against the grain of the fur, pressing lightly on the skin. A tick that has fed feels like a small firm lump, from a few millimeters up to about 1 cm. An unfed tick feels like a tiny flat seed. If you feel anything unusual, part the fur and look.
Use magnification for nymph-stage ticks
Nymphs are about 1 to 2 mm, hard to see with the naked eye, especially on dark fur. Open LoupeLens at 5x to 8x with the flashlight on, part the fur, and look at the skin. At that zoom a nymph's legs are visible, which also tells you whether a bump is a tick or a skin tag.
Remove attached ticks properly
Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool, not your fingers. Grip the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with steady, even pressure. With tweezers, do not twist, jerk or squeeze the body; with a tick hook, follow its instructions. Do not burn the tick or smother it with petroleum jelly, nail polish or oils. Clean the bite with soap and water or a pet-safe antiseptic and wash your hands. Keep the tick in a sealed container or bag, or take a clear photo of it, in case your dog becomes ill and your vet wants to identify it.
Monitor the bite site
Take a magnified photo of the bite site right after removal, then once a day for about two weeks. A small red bump that fades is common. Redness or swelling that grows instead of shrinking, or a dog that becomes tired, lame, feverish or off food in the following weeks, needs a vet visit. Dated photos help your vet see how the spot has changed.
In short
Check soon after walks, start with the ears, collar, armpits, groin, paws and tail, run your hands against the fur, and use 5x to 8x magnification for tiny nymphs. Remove ticks with fine tweezers or a tick tool, pulling straight out close to the skin.
Frequently asked questions
How small can ticks be on dogs?
Nymphs are about 1 to 2 mm, roughly poppy-seed size, and larvae are smaller still. Unfed adults are about 3 to 5 mm, like a sesame seed. Nymphs can pass on disease, and on dark fur they are easy to miss, which is where magnification helps.
How often should I check my dog for ticks?
After every walk in woods, long grass or brush during tick season, which in many regions runs roughly from spring to fall. Some ticks are active on mild winter days, so a quick check is worth doing year-round where ticks are common.
What if the tick's head stays in the skin?
If the mouthparts break off and you can lift them out easily with clean tweezers, do so. If not, leave them; the skin usually pushes them out as it heals. Clean the area and watch it. If redness or swelling increases, see your vet.
Should I twist a tick or put something on it first?
With tweezers, pull straight out without twisting. Tick hooks are designed to be used as their instructions say. Do not burn the tick or cover it with petroleum jelly, nail polish or oils; these delay removal and do not make it safer.
Can I use LoupeLens to identify tick species?
LoupeLens does not identify ticks, but at 8x to 10x you can take a detailed photo that makes identification easier, whether you compare it with reference images or show it to your vet. The type matters because different ticks carry different diseases.