Why Summer Is Tick Season
Ticks are most active from spring through autumn, peaking in June and July. They wait in long grass, scrubland and woodland edges — they do not jump or fly, they quest: standing with front legs outstretched, latching on as an animal brushes past. High-risk areas: countryside walks, forest trails, long grass in parks, sand dunes.
Step-by-Step: Safe Tick Removal
- Use fine-tipped tweezers or a purpose-made tick removal tool (widely available, costs under £5).
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible — not the body.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure — no twisting, no jerking, no squeezing.
- Disinfect the bite site with chlorhexidine or rubbing alcohol.
- Keep the tick in a sealed container with alcohol for a few days in case your vet needs to identify it later.
- Note the date and location where the tick was found.
Never do this: applying petroleum jelly, essential oils, nail varnish or a hot match to the tick. These methods stress it into regurgitating, pushing pathogens directly into the bloodstream.
Diseases Ticks Transmit to Dogs
- Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi): shifting lameness, fever, lethargy, kidney disease in late stages. Widespread across the UK, Northern Europe and North America.
- Babesiosis (Babesia canis): destroys red blood cells → haemolytic anaemia, jaundice, dark urine. Can be fatal within days without treatment. Spreading northward in Europe.
- Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum): fever, thrombocytopenia, joint pain. Responds well to doxycycline.
- Ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis): common in Mediterranean countries and in dogs that have travelled abroad. Fever, bleeding tendency, weight loss.
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Americas): vasculitis, rash, fever — serious and fast-progressing.
Warning Signs After a Tick Bite
Monitor for 4–6 weeks: fever, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, shifting lameness with no obvious cause, nosebleeds or bleeding gums, dark urine, jaundice (yellow mucous membranes). Any of these → vet visit, with information on when and where the tick was found.
Tick Prevention: What Works
| Type | Examples | Duration | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral tablet (isoxazolines) | Bravecto, NexGard, Simparica, Credelio | 1–3 months | Systemic — tick dies after biting |
| Collar | Seresto | 7–8 months | Contact kill + repellent |
| Spot-on | Frontline, Vectra 3D | 4 weeks | Contact kill on skin surface |
Oral isoxazolines are considered most effective because they work systemically — the tick is killed within hours of attaching, before most pathogens can be transmitted. Your vet can advise the best option for your dog's lifestyle and health history.
Post-Walk Check: Where to Look
Ticks favour: between the toes, armpits, groin, neck, behind the ears, around the eyes and at the base of the tail. Run your fingers slowly against the grain of the coat — a newly attached tick is as small as a poppy seed.
Log tick finds in Purzi — date, location and any subsequent symptoms. If your dog becomes unwell weeks later, that record gives the vet the critical clue they need immediately.