What Tick Diseases to be Concerned about in Dogs

Ticks can cause: Lyme Disease, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and other infections.
Even if you have never seen a tick before, that doesn’t mean that they are not waiting in the bushes to latch onto your pet. Your pet may have already been exposed to ticks without you even knowing it. Some life stages of ticks are only a few millimeters in length making it difficult to see them, even if you have been looking for them.
Tick-borne diseases—What to watch for:
- Lameness; reluctance to move or exercise
- Swollen or painful joints
- Lack of energy or depression
- If they’re just not acting like themselves
- Loss of appetite or weight loss
- Asymptomatic (showing no symptoms)
Just one bite from a tick that’s carrying a disease can infect your pet. A simple blood test combined with your dog’s annual heartworm test can help determine if your dog has been infected.
Tick Removal Tips:
- Get a pair of tweezers or tick remover and wear gloves to avoid contact with your skin. With a tweezer grasp the tick as close to your pet’s skin as possible and pull out in a straight steady motion. Store the tick in isopropyl alcohol or flush it down the toilet and wash your hands. Clean your pet’s skin with antiseptic and the tweezer or tick remover with isopropyl alcohol. Keep an eye on the area where the tick was to see if an infection occurs. You may need to apply an antibiotic ointment at home. If the skin remains irritated, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Prevention is Key!
- Topicals are generally applied to the skin between your pet’s shoulder blades every 4 weeks. . Frontline Shield is available through our online pharmacy and is safe and effective. Some products such as Hartz, BioSpot, and Sentry are generally ineffective and can be potentially toxic to your pet.
- Oral NexGard or NexGard Plus is a once a month chewable available to dogs. NexGard kills fleas and ticks, prevents infestations by killing fleas before they can lay eggs. NexGard Plus also prevent heartworm disease.
- NexGard Combo is a topical option available to cats. NexGard Combo kills fleas and ticks and prevents heartworm disease.