Health & Safety

Ticks and dogs in Europe: how to check, remove and prevent bites

A quick daily check, the right tool and a prevention plan from your vet keep ticks from becoming a problem.

By 6 min read
French bulldog outdoors licking a frozen treat tray

Ticks are tiny, patient and found almost everywhere in Europe. They wait on long grass and bracken in Irish fields, in Dutch dunes, along German forest paths and in Mediterranean scrub, ready to climb onto a passing dog. Most bites cause no lasting harm, but some ticks carry diseases, so it pays to find them quickly and remove them properly.

This guide covers where and when ticks are active, how to check your dog in a couple of minutes, the right way to take a tick out, and how your vet can help you prevent bites.

Check your dog for ticks after every walk, especially around the head, ears, neck, armpits, groin and between the toes. Remove any tick promptly with a tick tool, twisting gently without squeezing its body. Never burn a tick or cover it in oil or alcohol. Ask your vet which tick prevention suits your dog and the places you live and travel.

Where and when are ticks active in Europe?

Ticks are active from spring to autumn in most of Europe, and in milder areas they can be found all year. They are most common where wildlife lives and plants grow long.

Where your dog walksWhy ticks are found there
Woodland edges and forest pathsShade, damp leaf litter and wild animals such as deer
Long grass, meadows and brackenTicks climb up stems and wait for an animal to brush past
Dunes, heath and moorlandSheep, deer, rabbits and birds carry ticks across open ground
City parks and gardensHedgehogs, foxes, birds and other wildlife bring ticks into towns
Mediterranean countryside and kennelsSome tick species prefer warm, dry places and can live close to homes

A mild winter can keep ticks going for longer, so do not stop checking just because it is November. If you travel with your dog, for example from Ireland or Sweden to Spain or Italy, you may meet tick species and diseases that are rare at home. Speak to your vet before you go, and see our guide to travelling in Europe with your dog for the paperwork.

Why are ticks dangerous for dogs?

Ticks feed on blood, and while they feed they can pass on infections. Depending on the region, these include Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis.

The longer a tick stays attached, the greater the chance it passes something on. That is why daily checks and quick removal matter so much. Some tick-borne diseases also affect people, so check yourself and your children after walks as well.

How do I check my dog for ticks?

Run your hands slowly over your dog's whole body after every walk, feeling for small bumps. An unfed tick can be as small as a sesame seed, and a tick full of blood can grow to the size of a pea.

Ticks like warm, thin-skinned spots. Pay special attention to these areas:

  • Around and inside the ears
  • The head, face and around the eyes
  • The neck, especially under the collar
  • Armpits and elbows
  • The groin and inner thighs
  • Between the toes
  • Under the tail and around the bottom

Freezbone tip

Do the tick check while your dog is busy with a frozen lick toy. Licking keeps most dogs happily still, which leaves both your hands free to part the fur. Work in good light, and use a fine comb on long or thick coats.

“She love it as this is the only time she sits still.”
Sian M., verified buyer

How do I remove a tick from my dog?

Use a tick removal tool, such as a tick hook or tick twister, and take the tick out as soon as you find it. These tools are small and light, so keep one at home and one in your walking bag.

1. Get ready

  • Have your tick tool ready, or fine-tipped tweezers if that is all you have
  • Part the fur so you can see where the tick enters the skin
  • Ask someone to hold your dog, or give them a frozen toy

2. Grip

  • Slide the tool under the tick, as close to the skin as you can
  • Do not grab the swollen body
  • Do not squeeze

3. Twist and lift

  • With a tick tool, turn it slowly in one direction a few times
  • Lift gently once the tick lets go
  • With tweezers, pull steadily straight up instead of twisting

4. Afterwards

  • Clean the bite with mild soap and water
  • Wash your hands
  • Seal the tick in tape and put it in the bin, or keep it in a small jar if your vet wants to see it

Do

  • Remove ticks the same day you find them
  • Keep a tick tool at home and in your walking bag
  • Note the date and where on the body the tick was
  • Keep an eye on the bite for a few weeks

Never

  • Burn the tick with a match or lighter
  • Squeeze or crush the tick's body
  • Cover it in oil, butter, alcohol, nail varnish or petroleum jelly
  • Pull it off with your fingers

A small bump at the bite site is common and usually settles within a few days. If the area becomes red, swollen, hot or sore, or you think part of the tick is still in the skin and it looks irritated, ask your vet to take a look.

How can I prevent ticks on my dog?

Use a tick preventative recommended by your vet, and keep up your daily checks. No product stops every tick, so checks still matter.

Your vet can suggest the right option for your dog, such as a spot-on, a tablet or a collar, based on their age, health and lifestyle, and on where you live and travel. Some areas need protection all year round. Never use a dog tick product on a cat, as some are toxic to cats.

A few habits also help:

  • Stick to the middle of paths in tick season, away from long grass and bracken.
  • Keep the grass in your garden short.
  • Brush your dog after walks in the countryside.
  • Check yourself too, especially your legs, waist and hairline.

What signs should I watch for after a tick bite?

Most dogs stay perfectly well after a tick bite. Signs of a tick-borne disease can appear days or even weeks later, so contact your vet if you notice any of these:

  • Tiredness or low energy
  • Fever or loss of appetite
  • Lameness, stiffness or swollen joints, which may move from leg to leg
  • Pale gums
  • Dark, red or brown urine
  • A bite that stays red, swollen or infected

Tell your vet about the tick and where you were walking, as this helps them decide what to test for.

Spring and summer bring other walk risks too. If you live in or visit southern Europe, read about pine processionary caterpillars and dogs, and for the hottest weeks, our list of summer mistakes dog owners make.

A post-walk routine of a quick check, a frozen treat and a tick tool in your pocket takes only a few minutes, and it keeps ticks from becoming a bigger problem.

General information, not veterinary advice. If you're worried about your dog, talk to your vet.

Frequently asked questions

  • A tiny piece left behind usually works its way out as the skin heals. Do not dig at it, as this can cause infection. If the area becomes red, swollen or sore, ask your vet to check it.

  • Yes, fine-tipped tweezers work if you do not have a tick tool. Grip the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull steadily straight up without squeezing the body. Ordinary household tweezers with wide tips can crush the tick, so a proper tick tool is better.

  • In most of Europe, ticks are busiest in spring and autumn, but they can be active from early spring right through to late autumn. In mild areas and during warm winters, they can be found all year. Keep checking your dog whenever you walk through grass or woodland.

  • A dog cannot pass a tick-borne disease directly to you, but a tick carried indoors on your dog's coat can drop off and bite a person. Checking your dog after walks helps protect the whole family.

  • Not usually, if you removed the tick fully and your dog is well. Watch the bite and your dog for a few weeks. Call your vet if your dog becomes tired, lame, feverish or stops eating, or if the bite looks infected.

  • No. Tick collars, spot-ons and tablets reduce the risk, but no product stops every tick. Combine the prevention your vet recommends with a quick check after each walk.

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Written by Freezbone Team

We design freezable, refillable natural-rubber chew toys and test every fill and routine on our own dogs before we write about it. Freezbone Limited ships across the European Union from Ireland.

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