Searching For Ticks

[RiverStar-Aura]

I've always been told that thorough searching of a dog for ticks is the best type of prevention but not once have I been showed how to go about it. All the puppy pre-schools I've attended harp on at the importance of searching your dog, but again, haven't taken time to show how it should be done.

My Aussie Terrier pup has quite a thick and long wire coat and I have no idea how I'd even start to search her over. How long should it take? Do you actually part every centimetre of fur and how can you be sure you haven't missed a spot?

Is finding a tick based more on feel than sight because I even have trouble parting her fur to apply Frontline to her skin.

Would my vet take the time to show me how to correctly search for ticks or is this something that people are somehow supposed to know how to do?

[Bjelkier]

Use a dryer to go over every inch of her body.

A good quality one will part the hair easily so you can see the skin.

[sheena]

I have border collies & find that feeling for ticks is best. We look where we can, in the ears & on the belly etc, but rely more on feel for the other areas, especially the grooves up the legs where they can hide.

[RiverStar-Aura]

Use a dryer to go over every inch of her body.

A good quality one will part the hair easily so you can see the skin.

That's a really good idea! Thank you.

Although I will have to desensitise her to its noise though.

[Fordogs]

I would suggest you feel, use your finger tips, start at the nose and work methodically over the face, ears and neck then down the chest, legs, feet, back up to the pits and over the belly, groin, anus, down the back leg and feet then the tail. You will soon get used to the routine. Take your time and get to know your dogs body, every nook and cranny. Most tick are found on the face, neck, chest and forelegs.

I hate ticks and have lived in a tick area and worked in vet hospitals where we would often have 2, 3 or 4 tick animals each day. My advise would be to use a tick collar, replace before the due date and daily searches.

[Clyde]

I would suggest you feel, use your finger tips,

I do this too. If you massage with your fingertips moving over the body slowly you can usually feel them. I have a dog dryer which works well too but prefer to do the finger tip massage especially around ears/armpits etc. Ticks are mostly found on the upper end of the dog (although can be found anywhere).

eta: I lost a little dog (swf) who had a tick inside his lower eyelid. He died from complications from the tick serum. I also lost a Dane X who was taken to the vet immediately once showing symptoms, he was there for days with nurses constantly feeling over his body to no avail. They can be sneaky little suckers. He ended up at Sydney Uni to be hooked up to breathe but he still died. It was awful, I was there with him when he went.

Sorry went off track, got carried away.

Just don't ever get complacent - A huge reason for me moving was to get away from ticks, I hate them that much!!

Edited November 18, 2011 by Clyde

[sandgrubber]

In my house, tick watch is done during morning cuddles using the finger tip method, but extending it to a little training . . . eg, playing with the hair between the pads on the feet and pulling back lips to bare teeth. It's really good to desensitize your dog to these things so if they do have a mouth or foot problem, they won't freak out and bite, or jerk all over the place, you when you go to look. I do two dogs (Labradors) in about 15 minutes. They love the exercise. chest and armpits are the worst places, but don't neglect ears, eyelids, base of the tail. I don't know how many times my fingers have mistaken a nipple for a tick . . . if you do it in the dark, you gotta pay attention to where your fingers are.

[Fordogs]

I was visiting a friend once and just spending time stroking one of her dog and as I have an incurable habit of just feeling with the finger tips (Yeah Obsessive Compulsive disorder I know) any how I felt a lump on the dogs neck and asked my friend if they had ticks in the area she said not recently but her had old dog lumps so I didn't press her any more. Next day she rung to tell me her dog was in the vets with tick paralysis. I felt awful that I didn't check the lump myself.

[Mags]

When looking for ticks your finger tips are your friend and are far better at finding ticks then your eyes.

Slowly go over your dogs sarching with your finger tips anything that feels different you then look at to assess. Do not forget between the toes and pads of their feet. With a coated dog the places where eyes are helpful are in the ears - don't forget to check out the ear creases and the lips - check inside the lips not just the outside of the mouth.

Goodluck - the more you do it the better you get at it.

[Lowchenlove]

Remember to check weird areas - a dog here recently died and the tick was inside its mouth. Also on top of eyelids - you think they would be easy to spot but have had a few dogs with ticks there and very hard to spot. Between toes and pads. Very bad paralysis season in Qld this year be very vigilant.

[RiverStar-Aura]

I had a tick scare yesterday with Zeus. He started swaying on his feet and eventually passed out at the dog park; I was beyond panic stricken. I rushed him to the nearest vet (5 minutes up the road luckily) completely hysterical thinking he's been bitten by a snake or tick or something else much more serious.

Turns out the poor boy is allergic to bee stings! Heck of a way to find out!

I have been checking both my bubbas on a regular basis for ticks though. Zeus loves the massaging and Kirah just gets squirmy! She does love her ear rubs though! :D

Thanks so much for all the advice on searching for ticks. It's been really helpful in giving me somewhere to start. Ta muchly!

[Kajtek]

My dogs have short coats and I can readily see any bumps/lumps on them.

I find that the feel-method is the most effective. About 2 years ago I found a very small tick using this method. My dog did not need any treatment (thank doG)