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Veterinarian Shares 5 Overlooked Spots On Dogs Where Ticks Hide

If you're a dog owner, does your pup take flea and tick medicine? If not, they should. With warmer weather approaching, that means ticks are going to be more prevalent. Adam Christman, DVM posted a video on Monday, March 11th about the 5 most overlooked spots that pet owners miss when looking for ticks on their pets, and one of them really surprised me.

The doctor doesn't get into any specifics about the dangers of ticks to your pets, but he shared the places on dogs' bodies that people forgot to check for them. He reminds us to check the base of the ear and inside the ears, on or around their tail and bum, in the armpit and groin areas, and the webbings of their feet. Number One was the one that surprised me most. Make sure to watch to the end for an important tick product suggestion!

Did you know that you should be checking all of these areas for ticks? Number One - under the lips and the lip folds - blew my mind! I would've never even thought to check in their mouth! Dr. Christman's commenters were very grateful for the information. @Kerry said it best, "Definitely learned something from this video!!! I also did not know there is such a thing as a tick spoon!!" While I couldn't find the one that the doc showed in the video, I did find a highly rated one on Amazon and ordered one for my pup.

Related: Woman Takes Her Dog's Flea Medication by Mistake and Her Reaction Is Priceless

Ticks, fleas, and mites are all external parasites that would love to make themselves at home on your dog. "Ticks are classified as "arachnids," and they attach themselves to the dog's skin and suck their blood. Besides causing irritation and inflammation, nasty skin infections can arise. Ticks can also carry and transmit severe diseases."

Warmer weather brings these nasty things out in full force, and they love dogs. Ticks are found everywhere, but are commonly found in long grass, woodlands, and areas with lots of wildlife.

The American Kennel Club recommends that dog owners should learn how to properly remove ticks by asking a vet to show you how to do it. You need to remove the entire tick, including the embedded head, but be careful not to squish it, sending contaminated blood back into your pup.

They also say that prevention is key, and these measures are easy to do. The first one is the biggest one, and that's to check for ticks daily and every time they come inside if they spend a lot of time outside. Keep your lawn mown (no tall grass!) and remove tall weeds and grasses in the yard. Ask your vet for a flea and tick treatment and keep them up to date. There are also tick sprays for dogs that you can put on anytime they go outside to prevent them for getting bitten, and possibly bringing ticks into your home. These are things I'll be doing with our new puppy, and I really hope they work!

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Dogs: Vet Reveals How To Prevent Tick Bites On Your Pets

With spring finally upon us, many of us will be looking to get outside and enjoy the countryside after a very wet winter.

And the same is true for our pets, who will be ready to soak up the sunshine and warm weather by our side.

But spending more time among nature means a heightened risk of tick bites, which can, in some cases, result in Lyme disease.

Dr Hannah Godfrey, vet at Petsure, warned: "You can recognise a tick by their oval-shaped bodies, and spider-like legs. They're usually very small, less than one centimetre long, and can vary in colour but are often brown or white.

"Ticks bury their mouthparts deep into the skin of both animals and humans while they feed, then drop off when they're full. When they're done feeding, they become a dark grey/brown colour and are much larger in size.

It's good practice to do a tick check anytime your dog returns from outdoors (Image: Getty/andriano_cz)

"Ticks are common in woodland and grassland and are most active throughout the spring and summer. Sadly, ticks can carry dangerous bacteria and parasites such as babesiosis, which can pass on to your pets. Babesiosis (the condition caused by the Babesia parasite) causes damage to the red blood cells and can lead to severe anaemia and even organ failure.

"One of the more common diseases transmitted by ticks in the UK is Lyme disease, which can lead to kidney failure in dogs. Early signs of Lyme disease include a lack of appetite, weight loss, and lethargy. Symptoms of Lyme disease can appear weeks or months after being bitten, at which point the disease could have spread throughout the body.

"Some tick bites can even cause paralysis in dogs. Symptoms of this usually appear three to nine days after the tick attaches itself. Paralysis typically starts with a loss of back leg coordination, followed by a change in breathing, vomiting or gagging, and a change or loss of bark."

How to protect your dogs from ticks Check pets after walks

It's good practice to do a tick check anytime your dog returns from outdoors. Run your hands over their body, making sure to focus on areas like their head and ears, belly, and armpits. Try to feel for any small bumps on their skin.

Use tick control products

There are plenty of products out there that can help prevent tick bites. Look out for collars, sprays, and spot-on treatments, but be sure to only use products recommended by your vet.

Never use tick control intended for cats on dogs, and vice versa

Tick treatment for dogs include chemicals that can be lethal for cats, and a treatment intended for cats may also be harmful to your dog. Your vet will recommend the right treatment for your specific pet.

Cut back the grass in your garden

While ticks are more common in woodland areas, they can also be found in your garden. Make sure to keep the grass and vegetation in your garden cut short to avoid harbouring ticks.

What are ticks?

Ticks are tiny, spider-like creatures which feed on the blood of animals and humans, and are commonly found in woodland and moorland, particularly in areas with long grass.

They don't jump or fly, but will climb on to you if you brush against something they're on. The tick will then bite and attach to the skin, where they will feed on blood for several days before dropping off.

Ticks are most active between spring and autumn and are widespread across the UK, but the most high-risk areas include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands.

How To Get Rid Of Ticks In Your Yard

There are many types of ticks in the United States, but these are some of the most significant, especially when it comes to tick-borne diseases:

Deer Tick

Deer ticks, also known as blacklegged ticks, are small ticks with distinctive black legs. They often are found where woodlands border fields or yards, and in mixed forests. They're happy to feed on both humans and pets. Deer ticks can transmit several diseases, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus.

American Dog Tick

American dog ticks are larger ticks, reaching up to 1/4 inch unfed and 1/2 inch after a meal. Females of the species, the ones that feed on blood, are red-brown with a light colored dorsal shield, although the light coloration may appear as a border around a darker center. Like deer ticks, American dog ticks like feeding on both humans and pets, especially dogs. They are one of the primary vectors of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Brown Dog Tick

Brown dog ticks are highly variable in color, ranging from a cream color to reddish-brown, with no other patterns. They also vary in size from 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch before a meal. They are frequently found where people are, especially if there are dogs around. Like American dog ticks, brown dog ticks are an important vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. They also carry canine diseases like canine ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis.

Lone Star Tick

Lone star ticks have more rounded bodies than other ticks and reach about 1/4 inch long prior to feeding. They're red-brown in color, but the only thing that's really important to their identification is the big white spot on their back — a "lone star." Lone star ticks are notorious as the ticks that cause alpha-galactose allergies, commonly known as "red meat allergies" (but are actually allergies to all mammalian products including dairy and gelatin).

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