Tick Infection in Canines:

One of the biggest concerns for canine owners all over the world is the fear of tick infection in dogs, that can greatly affect not only the vibrancy of their long, flowing coats, but also the overall health and comfort of the animal.



Ticks are small and irritating parasites that feed on warm blooded creatures. The ticks use a set of heat sensors to seek out their prey when they are hungry. They use these heat sensors to attach themselves onto the prey by clinging on to clothing or fabrics.



They are normally present on trees before they find a suitable host to prey on. The ticks have a mouth shaped like a pincer that it inserts into the skin to begin feeding. The mouth has a locking mechanism that releases only once it is completely finished with its meal.



Once a female tick has completed feeding, it will fall off the host and look for shelter. It will then lay eggs and die.

Symptoms of Tick in Dog:

Correct identification and tick removal in dogs rests solely in the knowledge of the symptoms that arise. Some of the more common symptoms that appear with the presence of ticks are a fever, a noticeable loss of appetite, arthritis in the dogs legs or joints, depression, lethargy and lameness.

Causes of Tick in Dogs:

Insects on dogs can be caused by a number of factors. The more common ones include improper grooming of the pet, taking precautions to avoid your dog coming in contact with other dogs that may have ticks or even the result of your dog straying on its own into areas of tall grass or trees that may contain a number of ticks.

Tick Treatment in Dog:

When it comes to tick control in dogs, certain precautions need to be taken to avoid causing any harm to your pet. Never use a hot matchstick or a needle when removing ticks as the heat would literally cause the tic to throw up into the wound – thereby ensuring contamination. The most common practice is to take a pair of sterilized tweezers and apply some sterilizing solution or antiseptic like alcohol over the bite area. Once the tweezers cool down, hold on to the tick by the side and as close to its head as possible. As much as possible, try and use the tweezers to grab the tick between the skin and the ticks jaws, after which the tick can be gently pried out of the skin. Grabbing the tick with the tweezers around its body may serve to separate the head from the tick’s body, leaving the head on your skin. Never throw the remains of the insect on the dog into trash but put them in a jar of alcohol instead.