Tick Check & Removal FAQs - Pets

Regular tick checks and correct removal techniques protect your health and the health of your pets. Prevention is the best defense against tick-borne diseases.

Ticks can carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause serious diseases like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. Early detection and removal significantly reduce the risk of transmission.

Check pets after outdoor activity in:

  • Wooded areas

  • Tall grasses

  • Leaf litter

 

 

  • Run your hands slowly over their body to feel for bumps.

  • Use a fine-toothed comb to inspect the skin.

  • Check common hiding spots:

    • Around ears and eyes

    • Under collar

    • Between toes

    • Around tail and anus

    • Under front/hind legs

    • Along muzzle and chin

     

 

Ticks can range from pinhead-sized to the size of a pea when engorged. They may be black, brown, or grayish.

  •  

    • Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool.

    • Grasp the tick near the skin.

    • Pull straight out with steady pressure.

    • Clean the site with antiseptic.

    • Dispose of the tick in alcohol or a sealed bag.

     

 

Watch for redness, swelling, or discharge at the bite site.

Monitor for signs of illness.

       Lethargy

      Loss of appetite

      Lameness or joint pain

      Fever

Contact your veterinarian if symptoms develop.

 

  • Use veterinarian-approved preventatives (topical, oral, or tick collars).

  • Treat pet bedding and resting areas.

  • Keep yards trimmed and avoid overgrown areas.

 

No. Many human products contain chemicals that are toxic to pets. Use only veterinary-approved treatments.

You can save the tick in a sealed container/bag and submit it to a local public health agency, veterinary office, or tick testing lab (like Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory) for identification and pathogen screening.

Disclaimer:

The Upstate Tick Testing Program is intended solely to provide information on tick species and the potential presence of tick-borne pathogens for research and educational purposes. This testing is not a clinical diagnostic service and should not be interpreted or used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Testing involves the detection of pathogen-specific nucleic acids in ticks using real-time PCR. A positive result indicates that a pathogen was detected in the tick specimen but does not confirm that the person or animal potentially bitten has been exposed to or infected by that pathogen.

By submitting a tick to this program, you acknowledge and consent that the data collected—including test results and associated metadata—may be used for research, academic, educational, and publication purposes. All data will be managed in accordance with applicable ethical standards, privacy protections, and institutional policies.

If you have concerns about a tick bite or symptoms of illness, please consult a licensed medical professional for appropriate evaluation and care.

Want to Learn More About Where Ticks Attach?

For a deeper understanding of where ticks most commonly attach on the human body—and how this varies by tick species and life stage—we encourage you to read our peer-reviewed publication:

"Human attachment site preferences of ticks parasitizing in New York"

Published in Nature Scientific Reports, this article assesses which human body region the ticks are likely to be found.

Understanding tick attachment preferences can improve tick check practices and help reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases.

Click Here to Read Our Research Article