Ticks are a type of ectoparasite – a parasite that lives on but not inside another animal’s body, and can carry and transmit zoonotic diseases – that affect humans.  Other examples of ectoparasites are fleas, lice and mites.  Ticks can be seen with the naked eye and range from the size of a sesame seed to 10-12 mm when engorged.  They are picked up generally from walks in long grass or woodland, but can also be picked up in urban settings so it’s important to check a dog over after a walk and/or regularly treat with an anti-parasitic product. 

Ticks can infect the animal host with Lyme disease which presents with often a bulls-eye red ring around the bite, high temperature, sudden/intermittent lameness and/or pain in joints and lethargy.  Ticks can enter the ear which could cause the dog to shake its head.  If a tick has bitten onto the animal, an official tick remover device can be used to gently remove it from the skin usually with a twisting motion, almost like unscrewing it!  These can be bought from most pet shops or online for a few pounds and are a very useful thing to own.  Using a tick remover is the safest way to remove the whole tick without it leaving its mouth parts embedded in the skin and/or regurgitating its stomach contents (and any potential infections) back into the blood of the animal, both or which could leave your dog with further problems.