How can I tell if my dog has a tick?

Physical checks are the most reliable method

Unlike fleas, which are easy to miss because they move quickly, an attached tick usually stays in one place and gradually swells as it feeds. A careful physical check is the best way to find one. Run your hands slowly over your dog's entire body, pressing gently to feel for small bumps or a swollen lump under the skin. Pay particular attention to the ears, around the eyes, under the collar, between the toes, in the armpits, and around the groin, ticks favour warm, hidden, thin-skinned areas.

What an attached tick feels and looks like

A newly attached tick can be tiny, flat, and easy to mistake for a skin tag or scab, while one that has been feeding for a day or more becomes larger, rounder, and more grey or blue-grey in colour as it fills with blood. If you find a firm, oval bump that doesn't move under the skin and has visible legs near the base, that's almost certainly a tick rather than a cyst or wart, though any new lump is worth a vet's opinion if you're not sure.

Behavioural clues worth noticing

Some dogs paw at the specific spot where a tick has attached, or scratch at it repeatedly. Others shake their head more than usual if the tick is near an ear, or seem mildly irritated in one localised area rather than showing the widespread itching typical of fleas. However, many dogs show no obvious behavioural sign at all, especially with a single tick. This is why routine physical checks after time outdoors matter more than waiting for your dog to alert you to a problem, and why a swollen bump found by hand is often the first real clue.

When a tick check should happen

Make it a habit after walks through grass, bushland, or scrubby areas, and during peak tick season in your region. Long-haired and thick-coated breeds need a more thorough check since ticks are easier to miss in dense fur. A flea comb can help part the coat systematically rather than relying on hands alone, and it's worth running one between the toes and around the ears specifically, since those spots are easy to skip in a quick pat-down.

If you find a tick, or think you might have

Remove an attached tick promptly using proper technique (tweezers or a tick removal tool, steady upward pressure, no twisting or crushing) or have your vet do it if you're unsure. Watch the bite site over the following days for redness or swelling, and watch your dog generally for lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, or unsteadiness, since some tick species can transmit illness. If your dog seems unwell in the days or weeks after a tick was found, tell your vet a tick was present, even if you already removed it.