Dogs love nothing better than being able to get out and about in long grass and woodlands. This is great for their health both physically and mentally. However, lurking in this dog paradise are some rather nasty bugs that are just waiting for an obliging dog for them to hop onto and start feeding. Ticks will fix themselves to your pets skin and draw blood and possibly leave behind a nasty infection. It is important to be able to recognise dog tick bite symptoms as Lyme disease, which can be contracted as a result of a bite, can be fatal. Other problems such as anemia and tick paralysis are also possibilities if not treated.

Your dog will be more vulnerable to picking up a tick during the high risk season between May and September. Do not, however, assume that it is not possible to become host to one outside of these months. They are not always easy to spot, especially if your dog has long, dark fur. When they first attach to the skin they will be fairly small and inconspicuous. They also have a habit of finding their way into ears and paws and other hard to access places. Often your dog will remove them himself if he can reach, but armpits and the back of the neck etc are not easy places for him to get to. If you have been out in an area that you think may be susceptible to ticks you must make sure that you check your dog thoroughly and keep a careful eye open for any dog tick bite symptoms.

There are a variety of species of tick and a number of different diseases that may be contracted as a result of a bite. These may present different dog tick bite symptoms. However, some general guidelines as to what you should look out for include:

o Fever

o A loss of appetite

o Limping or a difficulty in walking

o Tender or painful areas in the limbs or body

o A swelling of the joints

o General lack of energy and 'off color'

If you feel that your dog is exhibiting any of these dog tick bite symptoms and you think that there is even a small chance that he may have been bitten, you should take him to be examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Do not think that removing a tick from your dogs skin is going to be a guarantee that he will not be affected. It is easy for a tick to infect a dog and this infection will stay with him even after the tick has been removed. Although some of the diseases associated with tick bites can be very serious an early diagnosis and treatment will ensure a good prognosis.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about tick bite symptoms, please visit Tick Treatment for current articles and discussions.

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Removing ticks from dogs is not actually that difficult to do. But it should be done as quickly as possible, as they can release undesirable bacteria into the dog. Ticks are a real menace. Not only will they cause pain or irritation to your dog while they are embedded in it's skin feeding off your pet's blood, but they may possibly spread lyme disease or other diseases too.

It is therefore important to check your dog for ticks regularly. Commonly the dog may have baby tick larvae with the head exposed and embedded in its skin.

Fortunately these are very simple to remove. However while the removal process is simple, care needs to be taken otherwise if the tick is carrying a disease, there's more chance of it being passed onto your dog.

Removing Ticks From Dogs - Quick 3 Step Process

1. Wear rubber gloves to protect your own skin.
2. Get a pair of fine tweezers
3. Place the tweezers horizontally around the ticks head and press the tweezers as close as you can to the dogs skin before you close and grip the tweezers. This is to ensure you are grabbing the tick's head and will remove it successfully from the dog. Once you have gripped the tick, pull the tweezers upwards in a steady, firm fashion. Do not jerk or twist the tweezers otherwise you might cause the embedded part of the tick to break off and remain stuck in your dog

If you have heard of removal methods such as using a burnt match or petroleum jelly ignore them. These methods may do nothing other than simply aggravate the tick, possibly resulting in the release of harmful bacteria. You also want to take care not to crush the tick while removing it for the same reason.

Removing ticks from dogs is simple, so long as you take care. If in doubt, take your dog to a vet as soon as possible and let the vet remove it. After the ticks have been removed, be sure to start using a high quality tick repellent to stop them from leeching off your canine companion in future.

Ensure your dog stays tick free, use a high quality tick repellent to prevent ticks on dogs

For more information on ticks on dogs, see the following article: Ticks on Dogs

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Your dog just comes from playing in the backyard or from its daily walk to the park, it leaps on your lap and you rub its belly as you use too, when you notice a big red bump tick bite on your arm or hand. You immediately peep out your dog's fur: A brown dog tick has bitten you.

Some people may think that all ticks, fleas or animal insect are the same, but not. Male brown dog ticks and nonengorged female ticks are flat and brown. Deer ticks are microscopic; you can barely notice them if they haven't had sucked your blood yet. Like the female ticks fill up on your dog's blood they commence leaving gray eggs around a quarter inch long. They use four small legs on every side near their mouth. The deer tick is known as the main Lyme disease carrier and can be harder to remove than the dog tick because it is much tinier.

How to proceed for a safety dog tick removal? First, place and order a fine-tipped tweezers or you can either use the modern tick removal instruments they put on sale at your local pet supply superstore. The new instruments help you retire the tick without squeezing the tick's body so you don't introduce stressful bacteria from the tick into your dog's bloodstream.

Step one: Grab the tick by the legs or its mouth firmly, when they are about to enter the skin. This might be hard if the tick isn't engorged with blood. Do not grab the tick from the body.

Step two: Now you have accomplished the tick head removal, tow firmly layout and out in a upright direction. Don't twist the tick as you are pulling it out.

Step three: Tightly grabbed with the tweezers, put the dog tick in a jar of alcohol to kill it. Ticks don't die when you flush them down the toilet.

Step four: Some bacteria were released during the tick removal, dab your dog's skin with a special dog insecticide.

Step five: Wash your hands with alcohol.

Steven G. Hills is a tick and flea expert. Feel free to check more of his articles at: http://www.treatingtickbites.com

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Start with a clean slate. The best defense for these critters is a good offense. Take care of the pet's environment first.

Have your lawn sprayed, pet bedding washed and use commercial eco-friendly powders and sprays for inside your home. All of these things should be done at the same time to prevent re-infestation. If your dog rides in the car frequently or is outside a lot, don't forget to spray the car interior and your pet's dog house, if he has one.

Most of these products for your home and yard can be toxic, but there are some brands that contain pyrethrins that are not as poisonous. However, they do not remain long on the area you are spraying. Some of the poisonous brands are Sevin, Dursban, Diazinon, etc. They contain cholinesterase which is a toxic substance. When you look for yard and home sprays, look for brands that contain pyrethrins or anything eco-friendly, child and pet safe.

Protecting your pet is easy as well. Many good flea and tick products are on the market to help you and your dog deal with these parasites. The best products for your dog depend on your climate and activity of your pet. Is he outside most of the time? Is he basically an indoor dog, just going out to do his business and come back in? Is he in doggie day care or visits dog parks frequently? Your pet can pick up fleas and ticks just about anywhere.

We found the product Advantix is a good choice for our dogs. It is a once a month topical liquid repellent you squeeze onto your dog's skin at the back of the neck. It is waterproof and works very well. Other good brands are Frontline and Advantage.

You can get a pill form of flea and tick control, called Program, from your vet. This is a prescription medicine that you give your dog by mouth. It contains a chemical called Lufenuron and works by sterilizing the female fleas that bite your dog, preventing the eggs from hatching. This breaks the life cycle in usually two months.

Flea shampoos are available to help get rid of these parasites when you bathe your dog. Dips are a stronger chemical that is poured over the dog after shampoo to keep fleas and ticks away between baths.

If you are using a flea shampoo and topical repellent, dips can be overkill, literally. Too many chemicals on your dog's skin can build up, be absorbed, and become toxic, possibly lethal to your pet. Flea and tick collars really do not work well. It is best to spend your money on a once a month topical liquid you can apply after your dog is dry from his bath.

Always talk to your vet about the best combination of products to use on your dog. He/she has all the updated information you will need. Enjoy spring and summer with your four legged best friend. He depends on you to keep him comfortable and parasite free.

My husband and I have had dogs in our lives since we were born. We're not dog experts, just everyday people using trial and error over the years to see what works and what doesn't with our puppies and dogs.

We have owned many pure breed and mixed breed dogs through the years and each one was different in so many ways. When my husband and I married in 1978, our first dog was a Collie, Laddie. We were in love with Lassie growing up in the 50's and found our common "dog ground" in that respect. So throughout the years, Collies and now Shelties are out family dogs. We currently have an adopted 1/2 Husky, 1/2 Collie mix named Lady who is 8 years old and our second Sheltie, Kelsey is going on 3 years.

Many of our family and friends have asked our advice about their dogs and suggested we put together a website for tips, help and fun pages for dog owners. So we did. If you found this article helpful, you can view more information at http://www.the-best-dog-for-you.com.

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