Everything you need to know about ticks on dogs and cats

Ticks are common in North America, and tick bites can be dangerous to dogs, cats, and their owners. Year-round tick prevention is recommended for all dogs and cats to prevent the spread of dangerous tick-borne diseases. In addition, it is important for pet parents to be able to perform regular tick checks, recognize tick bites, and safely remove attached ticks from their pets. Read on to learn:

• How do dogs and cats get ticks, and what do they look like?
• Are ticks dangerous for pets?
• Does my pet need tick prevention?
• How do I safely remove ticks from my pet?

While most tick bites are harmless, many species of ticks in North America can spread disease, including the brown dog tick, which can infest indoor spaces. Not all tick-prevention products are safe or effective, so it is important to talk to a vet to choose a safe, vet-approved product. Treatment for ticks and tick bites is fairly straightforward, but some tick-borne diseases can be more complicated to diagnose and treat, and may even cause life-threatening illness.

Ticks are small parasitic arachnids that attach to animals and people to feed on blood. They affect multiple species of animals and are found all over North America. Ticks are most abundant in temperate and tropical climates in areas with brush, long grass, leaf litter, and wildlife activity. Many wild animals, such as deer, frequently serve as hosts for ticks, but when a tick is searching for a new host, any mammal passing by will do, including pets and people.

Dogs, cats, and their owners are usually exposed to ticks outdoors. Ticks stand on long grass and brush with their legs outstretched and grab onto a host as they walk past. They do not fall out of trees, fly, or jump between hosts. A tick will usually stay attached to its host until it becomes engorged and falls off, is removed, or is otherwise dislodged. Due to the effects of climate change, ticks can be found in increasingly larger ranges across North America.

Ticks bite and feed on blood at the surface of the skin. They do not burrow beneath the skin's surface. Attached ticks look like small dark bumps on the skin and become larger as they feed. The size and color varies between species of ticks. Tick bites can look like scabby, inflamed sores on the skin and may take a couple of weeks to fully heal, even if the tick has been properly removed. Ticks can be found anywhere on the body but are commonly found in areas that are more difficult for animals to reach, such as:

• In and around the ears
• Around the eyelids
• Under collars and harnesses
• Between the toes
• Between the front legs
• Around the tail base and anus

Some tick species are very small and more easily felt than seen. After being out in brushy areas where ticks are common, it’s important to check your pet for ticks so you can remove them as quickly as possible to minimize the likelihood of infection with a tick-borne illness.

Most tick bites are harmless, heal on their own, and do not result in disease. However, ticks have the potential to transmit life-threatening diseases in dogs and cats, such as:

• Lyme disease
• Ehrlichiosis
• Anaplasmosis
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Babesiosis
• Bartonellosis
• Hepatozoonosis
• Tick paralysis

While uncommon overall, these illnesses are much more common in dogs than cats because cats are naturally resistant to the pathogens carried by North American ticks. It’s still important to take tick prevention seriously, however, because tick-borne illnesses can be life-threatening. Indoor-only pets are much less likely to be exposed to ticks, but it is possible for people or other pets who go outdoors to bring ticks inside.

Tick prevention is vital for helping prevent tick-borne disease in dogs and cats. Some products repel ticks, but others don’t work until after the tick bites the pet. When an infected tick bites a host, it doesn’t transmit the disease-causing organism right away. Depending on the illness, it usually takes at least a few hours or even several days for transmission to occur. The longer an infected tick is attached, the greater the risk of disease transmission, so using a product that kills ticks as quickly as possible is an important first step. It’s also important to check your pet for ticks as soon as possible after being outside in areas where ticks are common so you can find and remove them as quickly as possible.

While many pets that are infected with a pathogen transmitted by a tick never develop any signs of illness, there are additional complications that can result from tick bites and infestations. Tick bites leave open wounds that are susceptible to infection. In small puppies and kittens, heavy infestations can result in life-threatening anemia from blood loss.

The best tick preventatives for dogs and cats

There are many types of tick-prevention products on the market: oral medications, topical treatments, and tick collars. The best type of prevention will depend on the pet’s species, lifestyle, other pets in the home, tolerance to medication, and the pet parent’s preference. Many tick preventatives for dogs and cats are broad-spectrum and also help protect against fleas and other parasites.

It’s important to use only vet-recommended tick-prevention products. Some over-the-counter tick-prevention products are not effective and can be dangerous. Topical products and collars formulated for dogs can be highly toxic to cats, even if they are not applied to them directly. It is important to tell a veterinarian if you have a cat at home when selecting a tick-control product for your dog. Some over-the-counter tick-control products labeled for cats may contain potentially toxic ingredients and be unsafe to use. Always use tick-control products as directed. Never split doses between two pets or use a product that is not age- or species-appropriate. Using the wrong product or using a product incorrectly can be toxic or ineffective.

In addition to using year-round tick prevention on all dogs and cats in the home, pet owners can help limit exposure to ticks by:

• Keeping cats indoors
• Avoiding or limiting time in areas with long grass, brush, leaf litter, and wildlife
• Cutting back long grass and brush around the home
• Deterring wildlife from entering the yard with fencing

Natural products aren’t recommended because they lack scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in repelling ticks, and no natural product kills a tick when it bites a pet. Always talk to a veterinarian before choosing tick prevention or attempting to use a natural product to ensure you are purchasing something safe and effective.

Do indoor cats need tick protection?

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends that all cats, including indoor cats, receive year-round tick protection. Ticks carrying disease can be carried indoors by pets and people. If these ticks are dislodged or not disposed of properly after removal, they can bite an indoor cat. In addition, brown dog ticks can live and breed indoors, leading to a home tick infestation. Tick prevention on all dogs and cats keeps ticks in the home from breeding and kills them quickly after a bite to prevent the spread of disease and other health complications. Many tick-prevention products will also protect cats from fleas and heartworm disease that can be caught indoors. Talk to a vet to learn more about your indoor cat’s risks based on your lifestyle and where you live.

Remove a tick by grasping it with a pair of tweezers or a tick-removal tool as close to the skin surface as possible, pulling it straight outward until the skin tents, and waiting for it to release. Be careful not to grab the tick around the abdomen or crush it, as this can increase the risk of injecting disease-containing material into the bite. When the tick releases, dispose of it by wrapping it tightly with tape, dropping it in rubbing alcohol, or flushing it down a toilet. Wear disposable gloves while doing this and wash your hands as well as the affected pet’s skin with soap and water when finished.

“It’s a common misconception that a tick’s head may remain in a bite and need to be removed,” explains Dr. Jo Myers, a vet on Vetster. “Ticks bite with mouthparts at the skin surface and do not bury their heads in the skin. Bites will often have a dark spot in the center where a tick was attached that might look like a head, which is part of the reason why this myth persists.” If a tick falls apart while removing it, do not attempt to dig around the bite for pieces. This increases the risk of a secondary bacterial infection. An animal’s body will naturally push out any remnants that might remain in the bite.

Do not use other methods of tick removal, such as a lit match, petroleum jelly, rubbing alcohol, or nail polish remover. These methods can cause more skin damage and increase the risk of a tick injecting disease-causing material into the wound if it carries a disease.

How to check your pet for ticks

Check your pet for ticks by firmly running your fingers over the skin and through the fur to feel for small bumps. Pay close attention to areas on the body where ticks are more likely to be found, including under collars and harnesses. Ensure the bump is not a skin growth or nipple before attempting to remove it. Ticks can still bite a pet even while that pet is using an effective tick-prevention product. Removing ticks as early as possible reduces the risk of disease transmission, carrying ticks indoors, and other health complications. You can talk to a vet to learn more about what ticks are common in your area, where they live, and what diseases they may be carrying.

A vet visit is usually not necessary after successfully removing a few ticks from a dog or cat. Talk to a vet if:

• You need help removing ticks
• Bites look infected
• There are a large number of ticks, especially on young pets
• A pet appears ill

The incubation period for most tick-borne illnesses is long, so symptoms usually don’t develop until weeks to months after transmission. Immediately after a tick has been removed, signs of illness are likely due to another health concern. Pet owners should always keep an eye out for signs of illness and talk to a veterinarian when they occur, whether they have found ticks on their pet or not. Symptoms of tick-borne diseases include:

• Loss of appetite
• Stiff or swollen joints
• Lethargy
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Swollen lymph nodes

The treatment for tick infestations is fairly straightforward:

• Remove all ticks from the body
• Apply tick prevention
• Treat any skin irritation

Additional treatment may be required for heavy infestations causing anemia or if the bite gets infected.  Most tick-borne illnesses are bacterial and are treated with antibiotics, but additional treatment is sometimes necessary depending on the severity of the disease.

If you find a tick on your pet, remove and dispose of it safely. Check the rest of your pet’s body for ticks as it’s common to be exposed to more than one tick at a time. Wash your hands and any tick bites with warm soapy water. If your pet is not already on tick prevention, talk to a veterinarian about vet-recommended tick-prevention products. If you need help removing a tick from your pet, have questions about ticks and diseases in your area, or need recommendations for safe tick prevention for your pets, online vets are available on the Vetster platform.

Should I be worried if I found a tick on my dog?

Most tick bites are harmless and do not transmit disease. However, removing a tick promptly and safely reduces the risk of disease transmission if the tick is infected. A vet visit after finding a few ticks is not usually necessary. Bites can still occur when a dog is on an effective tick prevention, and this does not mean the product is not working. Most tick preventatives work by killing ticks quickly after they bite. Talk to a vet for a recommended tick-prevention product if your pet is not on one.

Are ticks harmful to pets?

Most tick bites are harmless, but some can spread dangerous diseases to dogs and cats. Bites can also become infected, and heavy infestations in young or small pets can lead to life-threatening anemia from blood loss. It’s important to keep pets on tick prevention to help prevent disease transmission and other complications.

What is the best way to remove a tick from a cat?

Wear gloves and grasp the tick with tweezers or a tick-removal tool as close to the skin surface as possible. Pull outward until the skin tents and wait for the tick to release. Be careful not to crush the tick or squeeze its abdomen, as this can increase the risk of disease transmission. It may be beneficial to wrap the cat in a towel or blanket and have another person hold them while you remove the tick. Wash your hands and the affected skin with soap and water.