Identifying Different Tick Species Living On Your Dog

Identifying Ticks on Your Dog: Appearance, Behavior, and Health Risks

Ticks are small parasitic organisms that live by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles. As external parasites, ticks attach themselves to a host body – like your dog - to obtain a blood meal. Understanding how to identify different types of ticks can help you promptly remove them and get treatment if needed to prevent the transmission of tick-borne diseases.

What Do Ticks Look Like on Dogs?

Ticks go through four life stages – egg, larva, nymph, and adult. At each stage after hatching, they must attach to a host and feed on blood before progressing developmentally. When attached to your dog’s skin, ticks appearance can vary slightly depending on the species, sex, and exact life stage. However, some common identifying traits exist.

Appearance of Engorged Versus Unfed Ticks

Ticks appearance differs before and after feeding. Unfed ticks have flat, oval bodies that are very tiny, while engorged, blood-filled ticks have more rounded bodies and are substantially larger. For example:

An unfed deer tick nymph is only about 1/16th inch long – about the size of a poppy seed.
An adult deer tick female that has fed to full engorgement, however, balloons up to roughly 3/16th inch long – about the size of an apple seed.

This drastic size change makes spotting pre-feeding ticks more challenging. Carefully looking through your dog’s fur for tiny slow-crawling insects can help identify them.

Body Segments

All ticks share a basic body shape with two visible sections once they latch onto a host:

A small gnathosoma head section with visible mouthparts for piercing skin and sucking blood.
A larger idiosoma abdomen that grows dramatically in size as blood fills the tick.

Number of Legs

Another key tick identifier is they all have eight legs. The legs emerge where the tick’s two main body sections meet. While difficult to see, look closely while removing an attached tick and you’ll spot thin jointed legs on either side of their bodies.

Color and Markings

Ticks can show variation in color and markings depending on species and life stage, with unfed forms tending towards more solid colors and engorged ones showing grayish mottling:

Deer ticks appear reddish-brown in color before feeding then take on an ash gray hue when engorged with blood.
Dog ticks have whitish coloration on their large idiosoma section as nymphs and adults. When engorged they grow quite large, up to 1⁄2 inch long.
Lone star ticks have a distinctive spot on females, with a bright white dot on their idiosoma portion engorged or not.
Wood ticks (also called black-legged ticks) are dark brown to black in color before engorging, then appear grayish brown inflated with blood.

If you spot any crawling, attached, or engorged tick-like insects on your dog, prompt removal is wise even if identification remains uncertain. Collection for testing or veterinarian inspection can also definitively determine the species.

Tick Behavior: How and Where They Attach to Your Dog

Understanding tick behavior and vulnerabilities in your dog’s skin helps with prevention and thorough inspection after time outdoors. Ticks most often attach in locations they have easiest access to.

Preferred Attachment Sites on Dogs

When scanning your dog’s body during tick checks, be sure to closely inspect these common tick attachment sites:

In and around the ears
Under the tail
In the folds around the groin and armpits
Along the eyelids, jaw, and lips where blood vessels lie close to the skin
On the head, neck, and shoulders
Between toes and toe pads down low near the ground

Ticks latch on by inserting barbed mouth parts, then secrete glue-like substances to remain firmly attached, making them difficult to detach. Gently pulling upward with pointy tweezers gives the best leverage for prompt, intact removal before they can transmit diseases.

Conditions That Attract Ticks

Understanding tick behavior helps determine peak activity seasons as well as habitat factors that bring your dog into contact with them most often. Ticks thrive under these seasonal and environmental conditions:

Warm seasons like spring, summer, and early fall when temperatures range from 45-100°F.
Humid environments with vegetation like woods, trails, tall brush and grass that provide host access.
Areas frequented by rodents and deer that can transmit tick species.

Taking precautions like tick preventatives, avoidance of tick hot spots, and thorough checks during peak seasons reduces transmission risks.

Health Dangers: Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs

Prompt identification and removal of attached ticks reduces the health risks they carry. However, even brief attachment poses some danger of contracting tick-borne illnesses. Common tick transmitted diseases in dogs include:

Lyme Disease

Caused by the spiral shaped bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, Lyme disease produces fever, lameness, swelling, and potentially dangerous kidney disease in canines. Multiple tick species can transmit Lyme disease, with deer ticks, sheep ticks, and western black-legged ticks the most common in the U.S.

Anaplasmosis

This infectious disease triggered by the Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria leads to tick fever, limb swelling, lameness, lethargy, loss of appetite, and Potentially Encephalitis or seizures in dogs. Deer ticks primarily spread anaplasmosis.

Ehrlichiosis

Bacterial infection from multiple Ehrlichia species produce flu-like fever, body pain, and blood cell destruction. Left untreated, it can become severely dangerous and fatal. Both Lone star ticks and brown dog ticks transmit Ehrlichia bacteria.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)

Spread by dog ticks and wood ticks, RMSF originates from Rickettsia rickettsii bacteria in tick saliva. It brings on high fevers, limb swelling, neurological issues, and skin irritation in dogs once infected. RMSF poses high fatality risks without prompt treatment.

Discuss any tick exposure incidents and symptoms with your veterinarian right away. Medications like doxycycline often successfully treat these diseases in dogs when addressed quickly before severe symptoms emerge.

Preventing Tick Bites and Diseases

While not every tick bite automatically causes disease transmission, prompt identification and removal minimizes infection risks. Protect dogs further using these prevention methods:

Ask your vet about canine tick disease testing
Give prescribed tick preventative medication year-round
Carefully check dogs for ticks daily, especially after time outdoors
Avoid thick brush, long grasses, and wood piles where ticks reside
Create tick-safe zones in your yard via wood chips, gravel, or pavement barriers

Staying alert to tick behaviors and diligent in your prevention efforts helps reduce potentially dangerous tick bites on beloved canine companions.

FAQs

What do ticks look like before and after feeding?

Unfed ticks are tiny, flat and oval-shaped, while engorged, blood-filled ticks are substantially larger and more rounded.

Where on a dog's body do ticks commonly attach?

Ticks often attach in locations like the ears, armpits, groin, eyelids, neck, shoulders, and between the paws where skin access is easy.

When are ticks most active during the year?

Ticks thrive in warmer months like spring, summer, and early fall when temperatures range from 45-100°F along with humidity.

What diseases can ticks transmit to dogs?

Dangerous tick-borne illnesses in dogs include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, babesiosis, and hepatozoonosis.

How can I prevent tick bites on my dog?

Use prescribed tick preventatives, avoid tick hot spots, check dogs thoroughly for ticks daily, create tick-safe zones, and ask your vet about tick disease testing.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.