How To Check a Dog For Ticks and Remove Any You Find

Sit your dog down.

Run your hands over the dog’s body gently but thoroughly, beginning with the face and ears and moving back toward the tail.

Check the dog’s chest, stomach, legs, and feet. Be sure to examine between the toes, in the “armpits,” and inside the ears. Remember—some ticks are as small as the head of a pin!

If you feel any bumps beneath the skin, separate the fur to examine the area more closely.

If you find a tick, it may have already formed a protective sac around itself. Use the clean tweezers to grasp the sac as closely as possible to the dog’s skin. Try to avoid crushing the tick’s body. This may be difficult with very small ticks, but do your best.

Pull the sac away from the dog’s skin. If the tick’s mouthparts are left behind, don’t be concerned—once the body is removed, it can no longer transmit bacteria.

Do not prick, crush, or burn the tick. Instead, place it in a sealable container, such as a lidded jar, with a little bit of rubbing alcohol. Seal the container and throw it away.

Clean the bitten area with rubbing alcohol.

Wash your hands thoroughly.

Over the next few weeks, check the spot where you pulled the tick. Some dogs may have a red spot or slight swelling in the area for several days. If serious redness, swelling, or tenderness occurs, contact your veterinarian.

Talk to your vet about whether your dog might benefit from collars, pills, or topical applications that protect against fleas and ticks.