Summer is the season of sunny weather and cookouts. But it’s also the season of ticks!
This year is looking more tick-filled than usual thanks to the extra-wet weather. So it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re taking preventive measures and checking your furry friend thoroughly for pests after every outing!
Start with brushing your dog when you get back inside. This will help keep his coat free of dirt and shedding fur, and give you the opportunity to find ticks in obvious areas.
Next, check some of the less obvious hiding places that ticks love to latch onto:
- Inside of the ears. Make sure that you look carefully on the flaps and crevices of the ear, and also take a good look deep inside each ear. Ticks can be very small, so a careful examination of your pup’s ears will save a lot of trouble down the road.
- Between the toes. It’s easy to forget to check your pup’s feet, but the spaces between the toes make a tempting place for ticks and other pets to hide.
- Under the tail and in the genital region. It may be awkward to check these areas at first, but these areas are favorites for ticks. Carefully comb the hair around the area with a fine comb to catch any attached pests.
- Around the eyelids. Ticks can be mistaken for skin tags or eye gunk in this area, so they’re often overlooked. Make sure that you carefully check and clean this delicate area!
- Under the collar. Since dogs rarely have their collars removed, this dark area is a perfect place for ticks to make themselves at home. Make sure you remove the collar for a short time regularly to check for ticks.
Hopefully, you won’t find any ticks in your thorough check! But if you do, it’s important that you properly remove and dispose of the pest!
A brush may be enough to knock off ticks that are crawling around. Embedded ticks should be carefully removed by pulling the tick straight out slowly and firmly with tweezers. Do not twist the tweezers or squeeze the body of the tick, since doing so can leave behind some of the tick.
Once a tick is removed, place the entire tick in a small amount of rubbing alcohol to kill it and clean your pup’s skin with a disinfectant!
Need a hand with keeping your dog clean and trimmed this summer? Visit the Animal America website to learn more about our dog grooming services!
