Hello, the in-laws found a tick on their retriever's back. We put some vegetable oil on the skin around the bite and on the tick itself, waited for a while and then easily got the tick off the skin. It is very alive, saved it just in case. Please see the photo. I was wondering about what should be done following a tick bite. Vaccination of the dog? Run tests on the tick?

What tick is this one?

Thanks in advance. Don't know anything about dogs. Best wishes, h.

Diseases are location specific. It depends on where you live as to what disease your dog might inherit from the tic. Typically, nothing is done until symptoms present.

Looks like a common American Dog Tick. Engorged females like that do look very similar, so don't take that as gospel. If it is, they don't usually bite humans. If the dog is on a heartworm preventative, there shouldn't be any other measures needed.

Appreciate the replies. I will relay the info to the owners. They live in Northern CA, not sure how common infected ticks are there. Sounds like the dog should be watched for symptoms. Are there good online references regarding the tick-borne diseases in dogs? Thanks again.

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Originally Posted by harum

Appreciate the replies. I will relay the info to the owners. They live in Northern CA, not sure how common infected ticks are there. Sounds like the dog should be watched for symptoms. Are there good online references regarding the tick-borne diseases in dogs? Thanks again.

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Look up some of the CDC pages about them. There's a lot of good information there, but there's also some hysteria. Another good reference with a more local perspective is from Oregon State. Here's a link: Tick behavior information available from OSU | Extension and Agricultural Research News

Thanks. Is there a way to get an idea of how long the tick had been on the dog from the picture? Maybe size, shape, or color could be an indication?

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Originally Posted by harum

Thanks. Is there a way to get an idea of how long the tick had been on the dog from the picture? Maybe size, shape, or color could be an indication?

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Not really. They can get that engorged in a couple of hours or it may take a couple of days.

Purchase frontline and put it on your dog. Best tick control!