What is a tick?
Ticks are related to spiders, so they have eight little legs. They also have flat bodies that swell when they feed on the blood of all kinds of animals, such as livestock, our pets and us humans. Ticks live all over the world, including Australia, where they are especially common along the east coast. In Australia, ticks that affect pets include the brown dog tick, the bush tick, the kangaroo tick and the paralysis tick.
Ticks need to feed on blood to grow. They usually crawl up grass or twigs and drop onto passing animals or humans, where they attach themselves and inject a substance to stop the blood from clotting. A tick can stay attached to their host and feed for quite a few days until they are large and filled with blood.
Tick bites are mostly harmless, but occasionally they can cause an allergic reaction or a serious illness such as the bacterial infection called Lyme disease.
How do I check for ticks?
To reduce the chances that a tick bite will make your dog sick, check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors, and during Spring and Summer when the number of ticks is much higher. Use your fingertips to feel through your pet’s coat. Ticks can be felt as lumps on the skin’s surface.
Become familiar with the ticks in your area. Connect with your local vet or search the internet for photos of ticks during different stages of life and engorgement. The ticks can look quite different depending on whether they are engorged or not.
How do I remove ticks?
If you spot a tick on your pet, it is important to remove them straight away. When removing a tick, make sure not to squeeze the tick’s body or leave the tick’s mouth parts under the skin. If you squeeze the tick’s body or leave the mouth parts behind, this can push blood back into your pet, increasing the chance of them getting a disease.
The best device to remove a tick is a specialist tick removal tool, which can purchased at your local vets or pet shop. However, a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers can also work and should be used to grab the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Then pull upward with steady, constant pressure. Make sure not to twist or jerk the tick, since this can result in the mouth parts being left behind. After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Carefully dispose of the tick.
After you have removed a tick from your pet, watch carefully for changes in behaviour or appetite. If your dog becomes unwell, have a check-up at the vets and mention that your pet has been bitten by a tick.
How do I prevent ticks?
It is always best to prevent ticks from biting your pet by using a tick treatment that either kills or repels the ticks as they attach themselves to your pet. There are different types of treatments, such as spot-on treatments or sprays, collars and tablets. Ask your vet for the best tick treatment, which will be specific to dogs or cats. Cats are very sensitive to some chemicals, so do not apply any tick prevention products to your cats without first checking with your vet.
Also, during the tick season, avoid walking in high-risk areas known to harbour ticks.
Finally, remember that if in doubt it is always best to consult your local vet!