How to check your dog or cat for ticks

This guide is general information, gathered from the veterinary sources listed at the end. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for your vet. If your pet is unwell, or you're worried, call your vet.

When ticks are about

Ticks are most active in warmer months¹. They live in long grass, woodland and places with lots of wildlife¹. They can't jump or fly; they crawl on when your pet brushes past^{1, 2}. Some species stay active on winter days when the ground is above freezing². In Australia, paralysis ticks can be found all year round in the north. Further south, their season usually runs from spring to late autumn and can start early after a mild winter³.

How often to check

Check pets who go outdoors every day, especially after walks^{4, 1}. In paralysis-tick areas, RSPCA Australia advises a thorough search at least once a day, even if you use a tick-control product³. For cats, Cornell's Feline Health Center advises routinely brushing the coat and checking for ticks during the warmer months⁵.

Where and how to look

Run your fingertips slowly through the coat with gentle pressure, feeling for small bumps^{4, 3}. The CDC's checklist covers⁴:

• in and around the ears
• around the eyelids
• under the collar
• under the front legs
• between the toes
• between the back legs
• around the tail

PDSA vets find ticks most often on the head, ears, armpits, groin and tummy¹. Paralysis ticks are mostly found in front of the front legs, on the face, neck and ears, but you should still search the whole animal³. A newly attached tick may be only the size of a pinhead, growing to the size of a small pea as it feeds¹. It can be mistaken for a skin tag, so look closely for its eight legs¹.

How to remove a tick safely

Remove a tick as soon as you find it^{4, 6}. Wear disposable gloves if you have them². There are two vet-backed methods, and they differ, so use the one that matches your tool:

• With a tick-removal hook (tick twister): slide it under the tick as close to the skin as possible⁶. Twist it in one direction, without pulling, until the tick lets go, then lift it away⁶. This is the PDSA's method.
• With fine-tipped tweezers: grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with steady, even pressure^{7, 2}. Don't twist or jerk, as the mouthparts can break off^{7, 2}. It can take a minute or two of slow, steady pulling². This is the CDC's and VCA's method.

Whichever you use, don't squeeze or crush the tick's body^{2, 6}. Don't use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish or anything else to make it let go^{7, 2}. If you'd rather not do it yourself, your vet practice can help⁶.

After you've removed it

Clean the bite and your hands with soap and water^{7, 2}. PDSA suggests warm salty water for the bite⁶. Put the tick in a sealed container or in alcohol^{7, 2}. Keeping it means your vet can identify it if needed². A small black spot where the tick was attached can mean mouthparts are still in the skin, and PDSA recommends a vet check⁶. Watch the spot for redness, swelling, heat or discharge^{6, 5}. Contact your vet if your pet seems unwell in the days or weeks afterwards^{1, 5}.

Warning signs worth a vet visit

Lyme disease. About 1.5% of ticks in the UK carry the bacteria that cause it⁸. Prompt removal helps, because the disease doesn't appear to be passed on until a tick has fed for around 12 to 24 hours⁹. Signs in dogs can include^{8, 9}:

• limping that moves from leg to leg
• swollen joints
• fever
• low energy
• a poor appetite

These signs usually appear two to five months after infection⁹. Pets don't tend to get the "bullseye" rash that people do⁸.

Tick paralysis (Australia). The paralysis tick lives mainly along the eastern seaboard, from North Queensland down to Victoria³. Signs include³:

• wobbly back legs
• a change in bark or meow
• retching, coughing or vomiting
• drooling
• difficult, fast or grunting breathing

This is an emergency. Remove the tick, keep your pet calm, and take them to a vet straight away³. Don't give food or water, because affected pets can't protect their airway when they swallow³. In Australia the illness can keep progressing even after the tick is removed, so go to the vet even if your pet seems better¹⁰.

Cats need special care

Never use a dog tick or flea product on a cat^{3, 11}. Permethrin, found in some dog spot-ons, shampoos, sprays and collars, is extremely poisonous to cats¹¹. A cat can also be poisoned by grooming, or sharing a bed with, a recently treated dog^{11, 12}. Signs usually appear within a few hours¹¹:

• drooling
• wobbling
• wide pupils
• twitching
• seizures
• trouble breathing

If you see any of these, call your vet immediately^{11, 12}. Don't use any tick product on your cat without asking your vet first^{4, 5}. The good news is that Lyme disease is very rare in cats^{8, 5}.

Frequently asked questions

How Zo helps

Zo's free Safety Dashboard shows a Low, Moderate or High tick risk based on the live weather where you are, which is a good prompt to do a thorough check after walks. It reads the weather conditions, not ticks. It can't tell you whether there are ticks on your pet or near you. Zo Pro adds advice tailored to your pet's breed, coat and size. Health records keep medication reminders, including for the tick treatment your vet recommends. The weekly check-in tracks energy, appetite, coat and skin, and mobility, so a new limp or a flat week stands out. Zo gives general well-being guidance, not a diagnosis. If you're worried, call your vet.

Zo on the App Store · Zo on Google Play

Sources

1. Ticks on dogs. PDSA ("Written by vets and vet nurses. This advice is for UK pets only.") · no individual named.
2. Ticks in Dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals · Malcolm Weir, DVM, MSc, MPH; Ryan Llera, BSc, DVM; Ernest Ward, DVM · last updated 28 Jun 2023.
3. How can I protect my dog or cat from tick paralysis?. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase.
4. Preventing Ticks on Pets. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · last reviewed 15 May 2024.
5. Ticks and Your Cat, and Ticks and Your Cat – FAQs · page 2. Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine · William Miller Jr., VMD, professor of dermatology.
6. How to remove a tick from a dog or cat. PDSA · no individual named.
7. What to Do After a Tick Bite. CDC · last updated 9 Jun 2026.
8. Lyme disease in dogs and cats. PDSA · no individual named.
9. Lyme Disease in Dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals · Malcolm Weir, DVM; Ryan Llera, DVM; Ernest Ward, DVM.
10. Tick Paralysis in Dogs (Dog Owners edition). Merck Veterinary Manual · Rick Atwell, BVSc, PhD, FACVSc, University of Queensland · full review Feb 2018.
11. Permethrin toxicity in cats. PDSA · no individual named.
12. Permethrin Poisoning. International Cat Care (feline charity with veterinary staff; not on the brief's list, so it is used only to corroborate PDSA).

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