How to Check Your Dog for Ticks After a Walk

Ticks are easy to miss on a dark or shaggy coat. Check your dog when you get home from grass, brush or woodland. A loose tick can travel indoors and turn up later on the sofa or bed.

Start with the walking gear

Remove the harness and collar, then find a spot with good light. Put a pale towel under your dog if you have one; it may show a tick that is still crawling. Eyes alone are not enough. Move your fingertips through the coat in small sections, using light pressure to find bumps. Part the hair when something feels different.

Your dog may run out of patience before you finish. Stop after one area and return to the rest. If the check turns into a struggle, ask your veterinarian how to handle it without holding the dog down.

Give hidden areas a closer look

Feel in and around the ears, near the eyelids, beneath the collar and under the front legs. Then check between the back legs, around the tail and between the toes. With long hair, feel for a bump before separating the coat to see the skin.

Some locations need a steadier hand. Leave a tick inside the ear canal or close to an eye for the veterinary team if you cannot reach it without risk. The same applies when your dog cannot keep still.

Take your time with an attached tick

Wear gloves and use clean, fine-tipped tweezers. Hold the tick close to the skin without crushing its body. Pull straight up with firm, even pressure. Twisting or jerking can make the job harder.

Skip heat, nail polish and oil. After removal, seal the tick in a container or wrap it in tape. Wash the bite and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Check the rest of the coat before you finish; there may be another tick.

Keep an eye on the bite

Note the date and where you walked. Look at the bite over the next few days, and pay attention if your dog's appetite or behavior changes. Call your veterinarian if the skin becomes sore or swollen, your dog seems unwell, or part of the tick appears to remain. The clinic can decide whether an examination or testing is needed.

A preventive product does not replace a coat check. Ask your veterinarian which option suits your dog and the ticks found in your area. Follow the label and the clinic's directions, and continue checking after time outdoors.