Ticks are parasitic pests that feed on their host’s blood, known to cause a wide range of dangerous diseases. Ticks are a part of the arachnids family, there are over 200 different species of ticks in the USA alone. However, all ticks are separated into two distinctive groups: Hard ticks and soft ticks. When we talk about ticks on Golden Retriever, we talk about hard ticks.
These are the ticks you will find in the fields or the woods. On the other hand, soft ticks prefer to feed on bat’s and bird’s blood, therefore humans and dogs rarely come in contact with this group.
What Diseases And Problems Ticks Can Cause?
As we mentioned above, ticks can cause many dangerous diseases in dogs. Particularly worrying is that any disease transmitted by the tick can take weeks, even months to develop before the first symptoms occur.
The most common diseases transmitted by ticks are:
- Lyme disease
- Ehrlichiosis
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
These are serious conditions that can cause all sorts of problems for your Golden Retriever. Most importantly, you and members of your family can also be bitten by ticks that enter your house via dogs.
Since tick bite isn’t painful, you won’t even notice that you got bitten. So, you must visit the doctor as soon as you discover symptoms, like a rash anywhere on your body. Particularly, a rash in the shape of a bull’s-eye accompanied by fever.
Checking For Ticks On Golden Retrievers: Where To Look?
Some of the above-mentioned diseases have no cure, and your Golden will be on medications for the rest of his life. That’s why it is important to recognize and remove ticks as soon as possible. Always check for ticks on your Golden Retriever after returning home from a walk or some other outdoor activity. This is especially important in the “tick season”, that lasts from April to September.
The most common places where you will find ticks on your Golden Retrievers are:
- Under the tail
- Genital region
- Under the Collar
- Around the Eyelids
- Between toes
- Inside of Ears
How To Remove A Tick From Golden Retriever?
Below are the steps for a quick and safe tick removal process:
- Find someone to hold your Golden while you are removing the tick
- Grasp the tick with tweezers (don’t touch it with hands) as close to your Golden’s skin as possible. This way, you will prevent the tick’s head from staying embedded in the dog’s skin.
- Pull the tick out steadily, without yanking it.
- Check the wound after pulling the tick out of it to see if there are any larger leftovers. You don’t need to worry about smaller pieces, as they are no threat to your dog and will dissipate naturally.
- The tick that you removed should be placed inside a container with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. This way, you will kill the tick.
- Leave the tick as it may help the vet should the problems occur.
- Disinfect the tweezers with rubbing alcohol
- Wash your hands
How To Prevent Ticks On Golden Retrievers?
There are a couple of steps you can take to protect your Golden Retriever from ticks.
- Use anti-tick spray and powder (not recommended for dogs with Asthma)
- Mow the long grass in your yard
- Use anti-tick shampoos
- Use collars
- Stay on paths during walking, hiking, and other outdoor activity
- For US residents, check this map for tick and flea activity in your state
Conclusion
Ticks can be quite a nuisance, and they always seem to find a way to our dogs. Fortunately, we have all the necessary means and tools to deal with these nasty pests nowadays. Frequent checkups, as well as the usage of tick treatments, will do wonders. In case your dog shows signs of tick-borne disease, take it to the vet as soon as possible.