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What to Do If You Spot a Tick on Your Pet or in Your Home

What to Do If You Spot a Tick on Your Pet or in Your Home

Updated On July 19th, 2018

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Reviewed By Dr. JoAnna Pendergrass

Ticks are little critters that can cause [big problems](http://www.petcoach.co/article/8-serious-diseases-your-dog-can-get-from-fleas-and-ticks-and-how-/). Known as ectoparasites (parasites that live on the outside of an animal), ticks are notorious for spreading disease in humans and animals.

For example, the black-legged tick transmits [Lyme disease](https://www.petcoach.co/article/my-dog-tested-positive-for-lyme-disease-now-what), which is caused by the bacterium *Borrelia burgdorferi*. A tick bite from an infected black-legged tick can cause a characteristic bullseye skin rash and fatigue in people, while dogs affected by Lyme disease can become lame and have enlarged lymph nodes.

Ticks go through several developmental stages—larva, nymph, adult—and must have a blood meal during each stage. It is during blood meals, which can last from several hours to several days, that ticks can spread disease.

Although ticks are commonly found outdoors in heavily wooded areas, they can hitch a ride inside on your pet’s fur or your clothes. Once inside, ticks like to hide in hard-to-reach places like crevices and bedding. Given that a female adult tick can lay up to 5,000 eggs after a blood meal, the sight of a single tick can spell trouble.

If you spot a tick in your home, whether it’s crawling up your curtains or attached to your pet, you’ll need to know how to get rid of it (and all of its friends) and prevent more ticks from coming inside.

**How to Spot a Tick**

Ticks are tiny. In fact, as larvae and nymphs, ticks are only as big as a pencil tip. Pet parents usually don’t notice the ticks until they’re adults.

If you see a tick on your pet, you will need to remove it promptly. An actively feeding tick will be swollen and engorged with blood. For ticks on dogs and ticks on cats, follow this tick removal process:

  • Pour rubbing alcohol into a jar. Rubbing alcohol will kill the tick.
  • Wear latex gloves to protect your hands from the tick’s blood.
  • Using tweezers, grasp the tick by either its head or mouth parts, not its body.
  • Pull firmly and steadily upward and drop the tick into the jar. Flush the tick down the toilet after it has died.
  • Clean the affected skin area with a pet-safe disinfectant. Clean the tweezers with alcohol.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly.

Monitor your pet after tick removal. Take your pet to your veterinarian if the affected area of skin is still red or swollen several days after tick removal, or if your pet looks unwell or is behaving differently.

A tick on your pet could mean other ticks are roaming around inside, which warrants a thorough house cleaning. Vacuum in areas where ticks like to hide: carpets, couch cushions, pillows, wall cracks and crevices and along baseboards. Vacuum your car as well. After vacuuming, throw away the vacuum bag. Also, wash all bedding that your pet lies on (including yours) in hot water.

**How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Home**

Preventing more ticks from coming inside requires a few extra preventive steps:

  • Treat your pets. Treat all pets with a veterinarian-prescribed [topical tick preventive](http://www.petcoach.co/article/how-do-i-pick-the-right-flea-and-tick-product-for-my-pet/) year-round. If you take your dog to wooded areas, examine him from head to tail for ticks before coming inside. If you see a tick, remove it as described above.
  • Treat your house. Vacuum frequently. Apply insecticides like pyrethrin throughout your home according to label instructions. If you are uncomfortable doing this yourself, contact a pesticide company.
  • Treat your yard. Make your yard inhospitable to ticks. Keep your grass short (three inches or less) and get rid of weeds and other yard debris. Remove dense plant beds, such as ivy. When you rake leaves in the fall, bag the leaves promptly. Outdoor chemical treatments can be used as well, but only as a last resort. Contact a pesticide company for chemical treatment.
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