You and your dog were having a good time and cuddling each other but then you noticed the bumps and redness on the skin of your pooch. On parting the hairs you noticed the dried dead ticks on the dog. Now you are worried about how to protect your furry friend. You are thinking about how to remove dead ticks from your dog. We suggest that using a tick-removal kit and tick repellents is a good solution.
let’s learn about the ways to protect your dog from ticks.
What Are the Ticks?
Ticks are the blood-sucking mites that parasitize dogs and other animals also. They feed on the blood of the host until engorged, and then they fall off and molt or reproduce. During feeding on the blood they are capable of transmitting certain diseases.
A dried dead tick on a dog is the one that dies accidentally while attaching itself and feeding on the host or the host scratched the area of the tick bite possibly killing the tick. After a few days, these ticks will be dried up and shrink, but still can be embedded in your dog’s skin and haircoat.
This article is also helpful about this topic: The Best Way to Prevent Ticks and Fleas on Dogs
Are Dried Dead Ticks Harmful?
Dried dead ticks present less threat to your dog than live ones because they are no longer able to transmit diseases to your dog. This is because ticks usually need to stay and feed on your dog’s skin for up to twenty-four hours before they’re able to transmit the bad bacteria from their stomach into the host’s bloodstream. Removing the dead dried tick from your dog’s coat needs the same care and caution as for the live ticks.
Why Removing Dried Dead Ticks Necessary?
Whenever you see dead ticks embedded in your dog’s skin, head, nose, mouth, neck, or belly, you should remove them as soon as possible. Do not leave the dead ticks embedded in your dog’s skin because purposely leaving the dead tick is like an eye sore. Dead ticks left on your pooch’s skin can cause red, inflamed, and irritated skin.
How Ticks Dried Dead on Your Dog?
Dried dead ticks found on your dog’s skin instead of the live ones can be due to two possible reasons:
1: The dog is on some kind of ticks preventive medication i.e. topical sprays or regular oral medicines.
2: The dog scratched the itchy skin and squashed the tick.
How to Differentiate Live and Dead Dried Ticks?
To be sure whether the tick is alive or dead closely observe its legs. If the tick is dead and engorged appears silvery-white and the legs will not move and will appear to be shrunken or stiff curled up. Sometimes live ticks also do not move very much especially when they are very fully engorged with blood and their legs will be flattened to the side.
Engorged live ticks are usually big and round and appear like a big silver-green raisin. Live ticks have embedded mouth parts in the skin so have a strong grip over the hair or skin while the dead ticks may be loosely attached to the hair.
Do Dried Dead Ticks Fall Off?
Not necessarily all the dried dead ticks fall off automatically. Some may remain embedded in the skin and some may fall because of antiparasitics’ effect. However, ticks that fall off could be alive as well. Fully engorged alive ticks mostly fall off to complete their life cycle, or to digest their blood meal.
How Do I Remove a Dead Tick From My Dog?
Removing the dead tick from the dog can be challenging and it’s important to learn the proper way of removing or disposing of it. Tick removal of dogs by the tweezers method is common and the only recommended method by veterinarians.
Put on sterile gloves and keep the tweezer or tick remover tool as near to the dog’s skin as possible, without crushing the tick. Then grab the tick’s body and pull it straight up. The mouthpart of the tick may split from the body and stay embedded in the dog if the tweezers are placed away from the body. Try to remove the entire tick gently and the tick should not rupture. Be cautious while pulling it out, because forceful pulling or twisting can break the tick in half.
After removing the tick, clean the site and apply some antibacterial ointment. Wrap the tick in a paper towel and garbage it. Wash and sanitize your hands properly after the tick’s removal and also sanitize the tick removal tool with some alcohol.
In case the head remains embedded in the skin, a bump will form at the site. Don’t further damage the skin by digging out. It will remove automatically during the skin healing process.
Ways to Prevent Ticks on Dogs
Ticks do not jump or fly to get attached to the hosts rather they crawl up on grass and plant parts to reach the hosts where they suck blood. Keep the grass and plants in your backyard or the dog’s play area trimmed and short. This can probably lower the risk of ticks encountered.
Other than this, ticks usually involve a third host like rats or some wild animals to complete their life cycle stage. So, if your dog interacts with such animals then there is likely a chance of tick attachment. Keep your dog safe by regularly inspecting the dog’s body parts. You can check toes, legs, and ears which are prone to ticks attack. You should do this every time your dog goes out.
The use of tick-repellant dog collars, medicated shampoos, oral medications, spot-on treatments, and tick dips are other ways to prevent ticks. Tick collars and spot-on medications are placed on the dog’s neck. They make the sebaceous oils in a dog’s coat toxic to ticks.
Both collar and spot-on treatments are effective from one to six months, almost. Oral medications also act on the sebaceous glands and are neurotoxic to ticks. Medicated shampoos and tick dips work to kill ticks present on a dog’s skin.
Conclusion
Ticks are external parasites that can cause red, itchy skin to your pooch. However, dried dead ticks do not transmit diseases to your pooch, but it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible.