Ticks are dangerous insects, though they are small and slow-moving. Ticks are dangerous parasites that attach themselves to animals and people, then feed off of them. Ticks are a huge problem and are responsible for transmitting a variety of human illnesses and can make your dog sick as well.

Ticks are tiny black, brown, reddish or tan disklike arachnids (having eight legs), about the size of the head of a pin. However, once they attach themselves and begin sucking out blood from their host, they turn a light grey color and can expand to many times their normal size – like a marble size! These ticks can live up to twenty weeks after attaching themselves!

It’s important to check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks; they usually attach themselves around the areas of the head, chest, belly, and front legs. If you’ve been in an outdoor area where ticks are common, be sure to check thoroughly for ticks. Pay special attention to your hair, as the dark brown tick can be difficult to see.

The female tick needs to suck on blood not only for mating as well as feeding. Once the female tick finds a host to live on, it fastens its legs to a hair shaft and then buries its mouth through the skin.  Once firmly locked with the host, it is then ready to feed and to mate with a male tick. After the female tick has mated, it will begin laying an enormous amount of eggs - usually up to 5,000 of them. These eggs are able to incubate in any crack or crevice. In warm climate, they can breed all year round.

Ticks are responsible for transmitting certain types of illness to humans such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, encephalitis, and tularemia. In addition to causing skin irritation, ticks can also cause severe damage to a dog.  There are certain types of dog ticks - scrub ticks and the bush ticks -  that emit a poisonous substance that can actually paralyze their hosts.  Lyme disease’s symptoms in an animal include fever, listlessness, and sudden start of lameness along with pain, warmth and swelling in one or more joints.  Also, a circular area around the tick may be visible, although it may be hard to detect because of the dog’s furry coat.

The best defense against the problems and diseases that come from tick is prevention. Before going into an area with your dog that has thick vegetation, use a spray on your dog. Ask your veterinarian to recommend one for ticks and flea prevention. Around your yard, keep your plants and grass well groomed. And be sure to check your dog for ticks each day. If you find a tick, it’s important to remove it as soon as possible. Grasp the tick with tweezers as close to your pet's skin as possible; make sure not to pinch your pet's skin.

Pull the tick out using a straight, steady pulling motion. Be gentle; pulling too hard on the tick can cause its head to remain lodged in your pet's skin, which can lead to inflammation and secondary infection. Dispose of the tick by throwing it into a fire, or by squishing it in a tissue using the tweezers and then flushing it down the toilet. Do not smash it with your foot or your bare hands.

Article by Kelly Marshall of Oh My Dog Supplies

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