What does a tick look like on a dog? - briefly
A tick on a dog looks like a tiny, oval, dark‑brown or reddish bump that may become a larger, swollen, grayish sphere after feeding, attached firmly to the skin. It is usually found in thin‑haired areas such as the ears, neck, and between the toes.
What does a tick look like on a dog? - in detail
Ticks attached to a dog appear as small, oval or round bodies that flatten against the skin when unfed and swell dramatically after feeding. The anterior portion contains the mouthparts—chelicerae and a barbed hypostome—visible as a dark, pin‑shaped projection at the attachment site. The posterior half houses the abdomen, which expands from a few millimeters to several centimeters as the parasite ingests blood.
Unengorged stages are pale‑brown to reddish‑brown, smooth, and less than 5 mm long. Partially fed ticks become darker, often reddish‑orange, and increase to 5–10 mm. Fully engorged individuals can reach 10–15 mm in length, appear grayish‑blue or deep reddish, and have a markedly distended, semi‑transparent abdomen.
Typical attachment sites on a canine host include:
- Ears and inner ear flaps
- Neck and shoulder blades
- Between the toes and pads
- Under the armpits (axillae)
- Around the tail base and perianal region
Visible signs of a feeding tick are a raised, firm nodule surrounding the mouthparts, sometimes accompanied by localized skin irritation or a small amount of blood‑tinged fluid at the attachment point. Removal should be performed with fine‑point tweezers, grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible to avoid leaving mouthparts embedded.