Ticks are pesky little critters that are small enough to fit onto a dog’s head but big enough to feed on the blood of your pet. If one ever gets onto your dog, it will attach its mouthparts to the skin and suck blood for several days. The saliva from ticks can also cause a few health risks for your pet, more so if they’re young or old.
Although ticks on dogs can be found anywhere on the body, they’re usually found in areas that are bushy like the tail, behind the ears, and between the toes. Ticks are often brown or black, but some are reddish-brown or even reddish-orange. To protect yourself and your pets from ticks, you better look for affordable pest control Austin services to inspect your place periodically, especially if your place has a history of tick infestation.
Ticks can be difficult to locate, especially if they are only a few days old. However, dogs have ways of telling you that ticks are feeding on their blood. If you notice your dog scratching their skin and licking other parts of its body or ears, there might be something on its skin that is bothering them. You better check for ticks and remove them as soon as possible.
Let us now see into the top 3 symptoms of tick infestation in dogs.
1. Scratching and licking
If your dog’s skin is oozing with blood, there might be a tick feeding on his blood. The best way to know for sure is to ask a veterinarian or check for the presence of ticks yourself. Ticks will not only feed on the dog’s blood but also his flesh, and this can leave huge chunks of fur missing in the areas where they’ve been feeding.
2. Hard bump on the skin
Ticks are parasites that attach their mouthparts to the surface of a host’s skin. Larger ticks will leave behind hair and even hard bumps, especially on the upper neck area. Look for thicker and larger bumps on your dog’s skin. These are ticks that have already begun to feed on your pet.
3. Lack of appetite
If you notice your pet’s lack of appetite for a few days, there might be ticks feeding on his blood. This can affect their digestive system. In many cases, puppies with tick infestation will not eat because of the discomfort that this inflicts on them.