Ticks on Dogs and Cats: Removal and Prevention

How pets pick up ticks

Ticks cannot jump or fly. They wait on grass and low plants for an animal to brush past, a habit called questing. Woodland edges, meadows, tall grass and overgrown gardens are typical places. A tick stays attached for several days, sometimes up to about two weeks, and then drops off. By then an adult female can have swollen to about 1 cm, roughly the size of a small bean.

The castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus) is found across most of Europe. The ornate dog tick (Dermacentor reticulatus) occurs in patches and can be active even in winter. The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) lives mainly in southern Europe. Unlike most ticks, it can breed indoors, in homes and kennels.

In central Europe and the UK, ticks are usually most active from March to June and again from August to November. In the warmer south, the brown dog tick may feed all year round.

Finding ticks on your pet

Most owners find a tick by touch, as a small, firm bump stuck to the skin. Unfed adults and young ticks are much smaller and easy to miss. If you are not sure what a bump is, look closely where it meets the skin. A tick has tiny legs there, and a wart or skin tag does not.

Ticks can attach anywhere, but they prefer thin skin with less hair. Check these places first.

• The face, and in and around the ears
• The armpits and the groin
• Between the toes
• The belly
• Around the tail and anus

A pet may scratch or lick at a bite, and a small red lump can form where a tick fed. A heavy infestation can take enough blood to cause anemia. Illness from tick-borne germs can start while the tick is still attached, or days to weeks after it has gone.

How to remove a tick

Remove any tick as soon as you find it. Some germs can pass to the animal within hours of the tick attaching, while others need a day or more of feeding. Quick removal lowers the chance of infection.

• Use a tick removal tool or fine-pointed tweezers, and wear gloves if you have them.
• Grip the tick as close to the skin as you can, without squeezing its body.
• With tweezers, pull straight out with slow, steady pressure. Do not twist or jerk. With a tick tool, follow the instructions that come with it.
• Put the tick in alcohol or a sealed bag, or wrap it in tape. Never crush it with your fingers.
• Clean the bite, wash your hands, and check your pet for more ticks.

Do not put oil, alcohol, petroleum jelly or nail polish on an attached tick, and do not touch it with a hot match. These can agitate the tick and may make it release more fluid into the bite. If your pet will not stay still, or the tick is deep in the ear or near the eye, ask your vet to remove it. Small ticks are hard to spot, so your vet may also suggest a tick product to kill any that were missed.

If the mouthparts stay in the skin, do not dig for them. The skin usually pushes them out as it heals, though a small lump may remain for a while. Contact your vet if the spot becomes red and swollen, hot or painful, or starts to ooze. A photo of the tick and a note of the date can help the vet if your pet falls ill later.

Signs of tick-borne illness

In Europe, ticks can pass on the germs that cause babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Lyme disease and other infections. Early signs are often vague, such as fever, low energy, poor appetite, stiffness or lameness. Call your vet if you notice these in the days or weeks after a tick bite, or after walks where ticks are common.

Some signs need a vet right away. These include collapse or severe weakness, very pale, white or yellow gums, red or brown urine, nosebleeds, bruising, tiny red spots on the gums or skin, and fast or difficult breathing. Babesiosis can make a dog very ill within days, and our guide to babesiosis explains it in detail.

Cats also need urgent care if they start to tremble, twitch or have seizures after contact with a flea or tick product made for dogs. This can happen when the product is put on the cat by mistake, or on a dog it lives with.

Tests and treatment

A vet diagnoses an infestation by finding the ticks. If a pet is unwell, the vet will ask about recent ticks, walks, travel and where the animal came from, and will often run blood tests. A blood count can show anemia or a low platelet count. Other tests look for the germs or for antibodies against them. Antibodies can take one to several weeks to appear, and a positive result may only mean past exposure. The vet reads the results together with the signs.

Treatment depends on the germ. Many tick-borne infections are treated with antibiotics or antiparasitic medicines, and some animals also need fluids, hospital care or a blood transfusion. Some infections are hard to clear completely, so follow-up checks may be needed.

How to prevent tick bites

Prevention works best as a plan made with your vet, combining a tick product with regular checks. Products come as spot-ons, tablets or chews, and collars. Some kill ticks after they bite and start to feed. Others also repel ticks, so fewer of them bite at all. This helps against germs that can pass soon after a bite. Your vet can match the product to your pet's species, age, weight, health and lifestyle, and to the risks in your area.

Vets recommend protection for the whole time ticks are active. Where winters are cold, that often means spring to autumn. In warmer regions, and where brown dog ticks live indoors, vets often advise protection all year. Try to give each treatment on time, and ask your vet about bathing and swimming, which can make some spot-ons less effective.

Check your pet every day during tick season, especially after walks in woods, meadows or long grass. Before you travel with your pet, ask your vet about ticks and tick-borne diseases at your destination.

Cats need products made and labeled for cats. Some dog tick products contain permethrin or similar ingredients that are highly toxic to cats. A cat can be poisoned if a dog product is used on it by mistake, or through close contact with a freshly treated dog. In homes with both dogs and cats, ask your vet which products are safe for everyone.

Other pets and people

A pet without tick protection can bring ticks into the home, where they may move to other pets or to people. This is one reason vets often advise protecting every dog and cat in the household. The brown dog tick can also settle and breed indoors, and then the home may need treatment as well.

Ticks in Europe can carry germs that make people ill, such as those behind Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis. In southern Europe, the brown dog tick can carry the germ that causes Mediterranean spotted fever. Lyme disease does not pass from pets to people through contact. The risk comes from the ticks themselves, including ticks that a pet carries indoors. Use a tool or gloves, never crush a tick with bare fingers, and wash your hands afterward.

Ticks and rescued animals

Animals that lived on the street, outdoors or in shelters are often more exposed to ticks and the diseases they carry. European parasite experts list rehoming as a situation with a higher risk of these diseases. Many of the germs can also be present in animals that look healthy.

Several tick-borne diseases are more common in southern Europe, where the brown dog tick lives. Ehrlichiosis has been reported in dogs in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, among other countries. In central Europe, babesiosis is one of the diseases most often seen in imported dogs.

At Paw Squadron, the first stops after every rescue are the vet and a bath. Each animal gets a checkup, deworming and treatment against fleas and other parasites. Before adoption, every animal also gets a checkup, treatment, vaccinations and a microchip.

After your new pet arrives, keep up tick protection and book a visit with your local vet in the first weeks. Tell the vet where the animal came from, and ask whether testing for tick-borne diseases makes sense. For other questions before or after adoption, our FAQ is a good place to start.