You are gently petting your dog and something bumpy catches your fingers. Once you part the fur, you discover a tick latched on to your dog’s skin. If you are like most pet parents your first reaction would be to remove the tick and then call it a mission successful. 

However, taking it too lightly can lead to serious health issues for your dog. Ticks are more than just a surface nuisance, they are in fact carriers of deadly parasitic diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain fever. The presence of ticks also proves that your current anti-tick measures (if there is any) are not effective.

The following are the 5 steps you need to follow immediately after spotting a tick on your pet’s body.

Step-1 (Proper Removal of the Tick) 

The keyword here is “proper.” If you are not careful when pulling out the tick, a part of the body can remain attached in your pet’s skin. Wear gloves and use fine-tipped tweezers to carefully remove the tick. Do not squeeze the tick too hard as it may cause the tick to regurgitate or burst. Use the tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and remove it in one smooth motion. Now, you can either flush the tick in your toilet or drop it in a container of alcohol. Wipe the area of your pet’s skin with an antiseptic swab. 

Step-2 (Check for More Ticks)

Where there is one, there can be two or even more. Scan your dog’s entire body, especially the head and neck area for more ticks. Repeat step-1 if you find more ticks. 

Step-3 (Take Your Pet to the Vet)

There are more than a few tick-borne diseases that can affect your pet. Therefore, after removing the tick, it’s best to go to a vet’s clinic to get your dog tested. Considering many of the diseases are life threatening, time is of the essence. Depending on where you live and the type of tick, doctors may recommend specific blood tests to detect the presence of any tick- borne diseases. 

Step-4 (Reevaluate Your Anti-Tick Measures)

There are plenty of pet medications online that can create an impenetrable barrier and prevent future infestations. Most topical spot-on products from reputed pet care brands do a good job in keeping your pet protected. You may also want to deploy a secondary layer of protection such as an anti-tick collar when taking your pet outside. 

Step-5 (Create a Tick-Free Environment)

Gardens are perfect breeding grounds for ticks and fleas. Ticks are known to hide in tall leaves and latch on to pets as they brush by. Use organic products such as diatomaceous earth to sanitize your yard and kill off the resident tick population.