Checking for ticks

[bmathers]

What is the best way to check for ticks, especially around the neck where the fur is so thick and long? Wondering if there is a good tick comb anyone can recommend?


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[barry581]

I just do a basic visual and feel check. Most of the ticks I've found have been in the areas of thinner fur, under the armpits, groin area, forehead, inside the ears, back legs below the hocks.

What are you using for flea/tick preventative? My vet changed me to Simparica Trio from Seresto collars. Seems to be working really well. Haven't found any ticks on the dogs, but have pulled two off of me so far this year.

[bmathers]

Thanks Barry. I was using Frontline for a long time, then switched to Nexgard, but am switching back to Frontline. Deer tick season is upon us up here in Massachusetts and for the first time I had a deer tick on ME! Thankfully it wasn’t on there for long (as far as I know) and I did get a dose of doxycycline just in case. But, Diggity is a super cuddler and I really want to make sure I get all the ticks off of him before they get on me. Yuck.

Were the ticks on you embedded too?


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[smartrock]

I'm not sure any comb is going to do better than feeling through the fur and skin with your fingers if the ticks are attached, especially in skin folds around the head and neck. Larger ticks might comb out if they're not attached. There are flea combs available with teeth very close together that might work well over larger areas than around the neck. You might try something like an undercoat comb/rake. The teeth of a Furminator are closer together but at least in the past when there were more people on here, use of a Furminator was generally discouraged because people thought it damaged the dog's coat. I use a Conair single row undercoat rake. It's not specifically marketed for finding ticks and the teeth aren't as close together as a flea comb and I mainly use it to get out loose undercoat because we haven't seen many ticks in the last couple of years.

I haven't found any ticks on my dogs for a few years, luckily. We were using Frontline (topical) and our vet changed us to Simparica (oral) about a year ago, probably mainly to combine all the flea/tick/heartworm meds into a single dose of something. Like Barry, I seem to find them more on myself than on the dog. If I find one on me, I check the dog more carefully. I guess I'm the canary in the coal mine!

[barry581]

One of the ticks was imbedded, not sure how long it had been there. It was on the back of my right shoulder.

[Macy]

After we have been in tick land, I have found more in the car where Macy sits than on her. I started putting a white sheet on the seat as my seats are dark and it's hard to see those little suckers.

[bmathers]

One of the ticks was imbedded, not sure how long it had been there. It was on the back of my right shoulder.

That is where I found the tick on me too! Must be a popular spot!


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[bmathers]

After we have been in tick land, I have found more in the car where Macy sits than on her. I started putting a white sheet on the seat as my seats are dark and it's hard to see those little suckers.

Great idea. I have Diggity in a crate in the back, but have wondered if they fall off of him in the crate, would they crawl up to the front seat over time!


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[bmathers]

I'm not sure any comb is going to do better than feeling through the fur and skin with your fingers if the ticks are attached, especially in skin folds around the head and neck. Larger ticks might comb out if they're not attached. There are flea combs available with teeth very close together that might work well over larger areas than around the neck. You might try something like an undercoat comb/rake. The teeth of a Furminator are closer together but at least in the past when there were more people on here, use of a Furminator was generally discouraged because people thought it damaged the dog's coat. I use a Conair single row undercoat rake. It's not specifically marketed for finding ticks and the teeth aren't as close together as a flea comb and I mainly use it to get out loose undercoat because we haven't seen many ticks in the last couple of years.

I haven't found any ticks on my dogs for a few years, luckily. We were using Frontline (topical) and our vet changed us to Simparica (oral) about a year ago, probably mainly to combine all the flea/tick/heartworm meds into a single dose of something. Like Barry, I seem to find them more on myself than on the dog. If I find one on me, I check the dog more carefully. I guess I'm the canary in the coal mine!

It is super hard to check his neck because of the length and density of his fur. All the other spots on him are not so bad to check with my fingers. Looking for an undercoat comb…


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