Ticks That Are Most Active Around Dogs

Ticks are small parasites that feed off of the blood of the host they are hooked on. You may have gotten a tick or two before from hiking through the woods or doing some gardening. But dogs are more prone to these pesky parasites.

Ticks go unnoticed a lot of the time due to their size and lack of pain caused to the host. They are also carriers of disease because of their firm attachments to the body and sucking of blood from different hosts.

Types of Ticks

The two types of groups are often referred to as hard and soft ticks. Hard ticks have a firm shield behind their mouth parts. Hard ticks that are unfed are shaped like a flattened seed. Soft ticks are not hard, but are shaped more like a raisin instead. They often feed on bats or birds instead of household pets.

How Do Dogs Get Ticks?

Ticks engorge themselves on blood, waiting for a potential host in grasses, shrubs, and trees. When a human or dog brush against the surface they’re hiding on, the tick quickly climbs onto the host to feed. Ticks are only able to crawl, so this process happens hastily as the tick tries to find a host. Although ticks are more likely to be seen in the warmer months, they can survive in the winter if the ground is above 32 degrees.

Worst Ticks Species For Dogs

There are about 15 species in North America, but only a few of these ticks will be potentially hosted on your dog.

American Dog Tick

These ticks tend to feed on humans and housepets, like dogs, but they usually don’t infest homes. Adults are colored brown with white streaks or spots on the back. Blood-engorged females will become a gray tone and expand. This species is widely seen through the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Eastern United States.

American Dog Ticks are attracted to scent and are most encountered near paths, trails, recreational parks, and roads.

Lone Star Tick

This species varies in color from brown to tan. Females have a single silver to white spot on their backs while males have a white, spotted back. Lone Star Ticks live in bushy, or wooded areas along creeks and rivers. They are usually found in the Midwest, Southeastern, and Eastern U.S.

Black-legged or Deer Tick

Adult Deer Ticks are mostly reddish-brown with a dark brown or black mouth shield. They are found around wooded areas, usually along trails and paths. This species can be found in Eastern U.S. and the Midwest. These ticks can also transmit Lyme disease to their host, so this tick is dangerous to encounter for dogs and humans.

Brown Dog Tick

Known as the Kennel Tick, this tick tends to feed on dogs and is able to transmit Ehrlichia, a form of Lyme disease. Due to its life cycle allowing development indoors, these ticks are found in kennels, homes, and areas with dogs. They tend to hide in cracks, under fabrics like rugs, on furniture, in curtains, and behind pipes. The reddish-brown species attaches to dogs’ ears or between toes to feed.

Longhorned Tick

This species of tick is newer, being detected in 2017, and found in 11 different US states: West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, Delaware, Connecticut, and Arkansas. Longhorned Ticks in North America haven’t been known to carry disease, but in other countries they transmit thrombocytopenia syndrome virus.

Tick Prevention & Removal

There are various tick preventions available to dog-owners. Some tick prevention medicine is over-the-counter or prescribed by a vet. These are preventative treatments usually applied to your dog’s skin. There are also chewable tick prevention products available. But talking to your vet for a treatment plan is the best course of action.

Check your dog (and yourself) for ticks after going outside, on trips, hiking, trail walking/running, or swimming. If you spot one, using disposable gloves or a pair of tweezers to remove them is easiest. Try to avoid skin contact with the tick due to possible contamination and infection.

Remove by grasping the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible to remove the full tick. Not doing so may result in the head still being lodged in the skin. Continue pulling the tick and applying pressure on your chosen method (hands or tools) and pull straight out. Disinfect with a gentle wash on the affected area after removal. Saving the tick in a small container with rubbing alcohol is great for identifying later, if symptoms of illness arise!