How do you find a tick on a dog's body? - briefly
Run your fingers over the dog’s coat, focusing on the neck, ears, armpits, groin, and between the toes, and look for tiny, dark, raised specks that may be attached. If a tick is found, grasp it with fine‑point tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull straight upward to remove it completely.
How do you find a tick on a dog's body? - in detail
Inspect the dog’s coat systematically, starting at the head and moving toward the tail. Use a fine‑toothed comb or gloved hand to separate hair and expose the skin. Pay special attention to common attachment sites: ears (inner and outer rims), neck folds, under the armpits, between the toes, belly, groin, and tail base.
When a tick is present, it appears as a small, rounded bump that may be engorged with blood, often darker than surrounding skin. The parasite can be partially hidden under fur, so gentle parting of hair is essential.
Procedure
- Prepare – gather a pair of nitrile gloves, a fine comb, a flashlight, and a pair of tweezers with a flat, narrow tip.
- Calm the animal – use a soothing voice and gentle restraint to keep the dog still without causing stress.
- Examine each region – run the comb through the coat, pausing to feel for raised nodes. Use the flashlight to illuminate shadows in folds.
- Identify the tick – look for a firm, oval structure attached to the skin. Engorged specimens may be as large as a pea; unfed ones are often the size of a grain of sand.
- Remove safely – grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with the tweezers, pulling upward with steady, even pressure. Avoid twisting to prevent mouthparts from breaking off.
- Disinfect – clean the bite site with an antiseptic solution and wash hands thoroughly. Store the removed tick in a sealed container if identification or veterinary consultation is needed.
Repeat the inspection weekly during tick‑active seasons, and after any outdoor activity in wooded or grassy areas. Regular grooming and maintaining short hair in high‑risk zones reduce the likelihood of unnoticed attachment.