Tick Talk
- a few seconds ago
- 11 min read
Know Your Enemy Before They Hitch a Ride
A few years ago, on a Saturday morning, I went to let Pike out of his crate and he couldn't move.
He was awake. He made eye contact. But he could not stand up.
I went into full panic mode — and if you know anything about the timing, you'll understand why. We had just said goodbye to Omar, our Boston Terrier. The idea of facing another loss that soon was not something I was capable of processing.
I ran through everything it could possibly be. I'd just had him to the vet a few weeks earlier, where he received a full exam, all his vaccinations, and was given a clean bill of health. I had no idea what I was looking at.
It was the weekend, which meant an emergency vet. Ted drove Pike. I stayed home with Beezy and Gus.
While he was there, Ted texted me: the vet wanted to test for Lyme disease. My first instinct was no — he'd just been tested, just been vaccinated. It felt redundant. But she'd been seeing a lot of cases lately, and she explained that the vaccine wasn't a guarantee. So we said yes.
He tested positive.
I had never seen Pike that sick. And it happened overnight. The vet told us that without the vaccine, he would have been significantly worse off — that it likely saved him from a much harder road.
He'll carry those antibodies for the rest of his life. We monitor his liver levels every year to watch for long-term damage. And we have never once been casual about tick prevention since.
That's what this post is about.
Before We Get Into the Diseases, Let's Talk About the Ticks Themselves
Not all ticks are created equal. Different species carry different diseases, thrive in different regions, and behave in different ways. Where you live, where you hike, and what kind of habitat your dog spends time in all affect what you're actually up against. And if you think your region gets a pass — it probably doesn't.
Blacklegged Tick (also called the deer tick). This is the one most people have heard of, and for good reason. The Blacklegged Tick is the primary carrier of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and the rare but serious Powassan virus. It's most common in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest — but its range has been expanding steadily for years. Its West Coast counterpart, the Western Blacklegged Tick, covers similar territory along the Pacific Coast. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and assume ticks aren't your problem, the Western Blacklegged Tick would like a word.
American Dog Tick. Found east of the Rockies and in parts of the Pacific Northwest, the American Dog Tick transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia — and it's one of the species capable of causing tick paralysis. Despite the name, it will bite people just as readily as dogs.
Lone Star Tick. The aggressive one. The Lone Star Tick doesn't wait on a blade of grass for a host to wander by — it actively pursues them. Its range runs from the Southeast through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Midwest, and it carries ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and the Heartland virus. It's also the tick responsible for alpha-gal syndrome in people — a condition that causes a delayed allergic reaction to red meat, with roughly 60 percent of patients experiencing anaphylaxis. In 2025, a man in New Jersey died after eating a hamburger — the first known death directly linked to the condition. The tick reached him because it hitched a ride on a dog first.
Brown Dog Tick. This one has a trick the others don't: it can survive indoors and complete its entire lifecycle inside your home — in wall cracks, flooring gaps, kennels. It's found throughout the U.S. and transmits both ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. An infestation isn't just a yard problem. It's a house problem.
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick. Despite the name, this species isn't limited to the Rockies. It's primarily a western tick, but it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and Colorado tick fever — and it's another species capable of causing tick paralysis. If you're in the Mountain West or Pacific Northwest and spending time in brushy or wooded terrain, this one is on your radar.
Most Common Ticks in the United States | ||
Tick Species | Common Regions | Diseases They May Transmit |
Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick) | Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Upper Midwest | Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Powassan virus (rare) |
Western Blacklegged Tick | Pacific Coast | Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis |
American Dog Tick | East of the Rockies, parts of the Pacific Northwest | Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia |
Lone Star Tick | Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, expanding northward | Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia, Heartland virus, Alpha-gal syndrome (humans only) |
Brown Dog Tick | Throughout the U.S., especially warmer regions | Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever |
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick | Rocky Mountain states and parts of the West | Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, Colorado tick fever |
Tick Identification Guide
Now. The Diseases.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is the most commonly diagnosed tick-borne illness in the United States, caused by a bacterium transmitted through the bite of an infected Blacklegged Tick. The tick generally needs to be attached for 24 to 48 hours to pass on the infection — which is why prompt removal matters so much. Which is also why a thorough tick check is not optional.
Here's the part that catches people off guard: only 5 to 10 percent of infected dogs ever show clinical signs, and when they do, symptoms typically emerge two to five months after the bite — not right away. A dog can test positive on routine bloodwork and show no signs at all. Others become seriously ill. There's no reliable way to predict which way it goes.
When symptoms do appear, they often include lameness that shifts from leg to leg, swollen lymph nodes, joint swelling, fatigue, and loss of appetite. The shifting lameness is easy to dismiss as a minor injury. It's worth taking seriously.
The more serious complication is kidney involvement. Lyme disease can cause a progressive, life-threatening form of kidney failure called Lyme nephritis — and it carries a guarded to poor prognosis even with aggressive treatment. Dogs showing those symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.
Treatment is typically a four-week course of antibiotics. Most dogs with joint symptoms improve quickly once treatment starts, though some require ongoing management. Caught early, most dogs recover well and live normal lives.
There is a Lyme vaccine. Pike is living proof that it matters.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Don't let the name mislead you. Most cases in the U.S. are associated with the American Dog Tick and the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick, and the disease is found throughout the country — with higher rates in the mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and south-central states.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is one of the most dangerous tick-borne diseases on this list, and the treatment window is narrow. Early signs include high fever — up to 105°F — loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes and joints, coughing, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and swelling of the face or legs. In severe cases, small red or purple spots appear on the gums and inner eyelids as blood vessels begin to break down. If you see that, you are past early.
Between 1 and 10 percent of infected dogs die from this disease. What makes it especially dangerous is how fast it moves — days matter here, not weeks. Veterinarians will often begin antibiotics immediately if RMSF is suspected, without waiting for test results. Most dogs recover well with early treatment, but some require hospitalization.
One thing worth knowing for the humans in the room: RMSF can be transmitted to people through contact with fluids from a crushed or blood-filled tick during removal. This is not a theoretical risk. Use a tick removal tool. Don't squeeze the body.
Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis is transmitted primarily by the Lone Star Tick and the Brown Dog Tick, and it targets white blood cells. It's worth noting that the disease appears to be particularly severe in certain breeds — Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Siberian Huskies are all documented as more vulnerable. If you have one of those dogs, file that away.
The disease progresses in stages. The acute phase — the first few weeks after infection — involves fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, and sometimes bleeding disorders: nosebleeds, bruising, unusual bleeding from minor wounds. Many dogs move through this phase without their owners recognizing what's happening. If it goes untreated, the disease can enter a subclinical phase where it appears to resolve on its own. It hasn't.
Then comes the chronic phase, and this is where things get genuinely hard. By that point, bone marrow suppression, severe anemia, and organ involvement can make treatment a long, complicated road. Some dogs never fully recover.
Caught in the acute or subclinical phase, treatment is a 28 to 30-day course of doxycycline and the prognosis is good. The difference between a good outcome and a guarded one is almost entirely about how early it's caught.
Anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosis is closely related to ehrlichiosis — same tick vector in many cases, similar symptoms, same antibiotic. The primary form is transmitted by the Blacklegged Tick and targets white blood cells. A less common form, carried by the Brown Dog Tick, affects platelets and the blood's ability to clot.
Symptoms include fever, lethargy, joint pain, loss of appetite, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea — and because they overlap significantly with Lyme disease, and because the same tick often carries both, co-infection is possible. Vets in high-risk areas know to look for it.
The relatively good news: dogs infected with the primary form of anaplasmosis generally have milder illness than those with ehrlichiosis, with fewer cases developing into hemorrhagic or neurological complications. Treatment is doxycycline, and response is typically good when started early.
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is different from everything else on this list. It's not bacterial — it's caused by a protozoan parasite that invades and destroys red blood cells, functioning more like malaria than like Lyme disease. The body tries to compensate by producing more red blood cells, but if destruction outpaces production, the results can be life-threatening.
Clinical signs range from sudden collapse and systemic shock to a slow, subtle infection with no apparent symptoms. Pale gums, dark-colored urine, extreme fatigue, and fever are common early indicators. In severe cases, the liver, spleen, and kidneys can all be affected. Left untreated, babesiosis can cause death by severe anemia and liver disease.
Treatment involves antiprotozoal drugs rather than standard antibiotics, and severe cases may require blood transfusions. Here's something most people don't know: dogs that survive babesiosis often remain sub-clinically infected for life — the parasite is still present, even when the dog shows no signs. Those dogs should never be used as blood donors, because the disease can be transmitted through transfusion.
Tick Paralysis
Tick paralysis is the outlier on this list because it isn't caused by a pathogen at all. No bacteria, no virus, no parasite. It's caused by a neurotoxin produced in the salivary glands of a feeding female tick, released directly into the bloodstream.
Symptoms can develop within two to seven days of attachment. The rear limbs are usually affected first, then the paralysis ascends through the rest of the body. Dogs may stumble, struggle to rise, or appear suddenly uncoordinated. As the toxin progresses, breathing can be affected — and that's when it becomes a genuine emergency.
I think you can guess what the treatment is: find the tick and remove it. Once it's gone, most dogs begin recovering within hours. The challenge is that the tick causing paralysis is often hidden — inside the ear canal, under a collar, buried in thick fur. A thorough physical examination is required, and even experienced vets sometimes miss it on the first pass.
This is exactly why a tick check means ears, neck, under the collar, between the toes, armpits, groin, and under the tail. Every time.
Tularemia
Tularemia — sometimes called rabbit fever — is transmitted by the American Dog Tick, Lone Star Tick, and Rocky Mountain Wood Tick. It's less common than Lyme or RMSF, but it deserves a place on this list because dogs can be exposed not only through tick bites but through contact with infected wildlife, particularly rabbits and rodents.
Signs include sudden high fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, and sometimes abdominal pain. It can progress quickly in untreated animals. With early antibiotic treatment, the prognosis is generally good.
It's also zoonotic — transmissible to people through tick bites, direct contact with infected animals, or handling infected carcasses. If your dog hunts, retrieves, or has any regular contact with wild rabbits, this one belongs on your radar.
Alpha-Gal Syndrome
Alpha-gal syndrome doesn't affect dogs. It affects the people who own them.
The Lone Star Tick introduces a sugar molecule during feeding that can trigger an immune response in some humans, resulting in a delayed allergic reaction to red meat. Approximately 60 percent of patients experience anaphylaxis. In 2025, a man in New Jersey became the first known death directly linked to the condition — after eating a hamburger.
The reason this belongs in a dog post: the Lone Star Tick reached that person because it hitched a ride on a dog first. Your dog won't develop alpha-gal syndrome. But if you pull a Lone Star Tick off your dog without protection, you might.
Protecting Yourself and Your Pup
It's important to remember that dogs don't have to be bitten to become sick. In some cases—such as with tularemia—they can become infected by interacting with infected wildlife, including rabbits and rodents.The best defense against ticks is prevention:
Keep your dog on a veterinarian-recommended flea and tick preventative year-round.
Stick to maintained trails and avoid tall grass or brush whenever possible.
Wear long sleeves and long pants when hiking in tick-prone areas.
Use an EPA-approved insect repellent according to label directions.
Check yourself, your children, and your pets thoroughly after spending time outdoors.
Pay special attention to your dog's ears, neck, under the collar, between the toes, armpits, groin, and under the tail.
Keep your lawn trimmed and remove leaf litter where ticks like to hide.
How to Remove a Tick
If you find a tick attached:
Use fine-tipped tweezers.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
Pull upward with slow, steady pressure.
Clean the bite area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Dispose of the tick safely.
Skip the folklore. Petroleum jelly, nail polish, matches, or twisting the tick won't help and may actually increase the risk of disease transmission.
A Few Myths Worth Busting
Myth:Â Every tick carries disease.
Fact:Â Many ticks never become infected and never transmit disease.
Myth:Â You only need to worry in the woods.
Fact:Â Ticks can be found in parks, backyards, fields, and even along neighborhood walking paths.
Myth:Â Ticks are only active in summer.
Fact:Â Depending on the species and your climate, ticks can be active whenever temperatures are above freezing.
The Bottom Line
You don't have to stop going outside. Nobody is saying that. But "it's just a tick" is no longer an acceptable shrug.
Pike is healthy. He's obnoxious and loud and he still dreams of stealing things off the kitchen counter. But we got lucky — lucky that he'd been vaccinated, lucky that the emergency vet pushed back when I said the Lyme test was unnecessary, lucky that we caught it when we did. Not every dog owner gets that combination of lucky.
The ask here is not complicated:
Year-round tick prevention — not just in summer, not just when you remember. Year-round.
A full-body tick check after every outdoor session. Not a quick pass. Ears, neck, under the collar, between the toes, armpits, groin, under the tail. Every time.
Annual bloodwork that includes a tick-borne disease panel. Most of these diseases are manageable when caught early. Several are not when caught late.
Prompt removal with the right tool. Not your fingers. Not petroleum jelly. A proper tick removal tool, and no squeezing the body.
The ticks are not going anywhere. Neither are the tools we have to protect our dogs — and ourselves — from what they carry.
As always, this post is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for veterinary care. If you have concerns about your dog's health, contact your veterinarian.