Tick fever is one of the most common illnesses vets treat in Sri Lanka, and the brown dog tick can even breed indoors. Here is how to do a daily tick check, remove a tick safely, and keep them away.
Ticks are a year-round problem in Sri Lanka, but the warm, wet months bring a surge. They wait in long grass, garden edges and along walls, and climb onto a dog as it passes. The main danger is not the bite. It is the infections ticks carry, commonly called "tick fever", which vets across the country treat every week.
Why Ticks Matter
The brown dog tick, the most common tick on Sri Lankan dogs, can transmit blood parasites and bacteria such as Babesia, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. These infections attack red blood cells or blood-clotting cells and can make a dog seriously ill. The brown dog tick is also unusual because it can complete its whole life cycle indoors, in kennels, cracks in walls and bedding, so an infestation can build up inside a home.
Signs of Tick Fever
- Fever, lethargy and loss of appetite
- Pale gums
- Dark or reddish urine
- Nosebleeds, or small bruise-like spots on the gums or belly
- Weakness, weight loss or swollen lymph nodes
Some infections stay quiet for weeks or months before signs appear. If your dog has had ticks and becomes unwell, tell your vet. A blood test is usually needed to confirm the cause.
The Daily Tick Check
Run your fingers slowly through the coat, feeling for small bumps. Ticks prefer warm, thin-skinned areas, so pay most attention to:
- Inside and around the ears
- Between the toes
- Under the collar and around the neck
- Armpits, groin and under the tail
- Around the eyelids
An unfed tick can be as small as a sesame seed. A fed one can swell to the size of a pea. Checking daily matters, because the longer a tick feeds, the more chance it has to pass on infection.
How to Remove a Tick Safely
- Use a tick removal tool or fine-pointed tweezers.
- Grip the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull straight out with slow, steady pressure. Do not twist sharply, squeeze the body, or jerk.
- Clean the bite area and wash your hands.
- Dispose of the tick by dropping it in alcohol or sealing it in tape. Do not crush it with your fingers.
Avoid old methods like burning the tick, or covering it with kerosene, oil or petroleum jelly. These can make the tick release more saliva into the bite.
Prevention Works Better Than Removal
Regular tick prevention is the most effective protection. Options include spot-on treatments, collars and chewable tablets. Each has different durations and suits different dogs, so ask your vet which is right for yours, and keep to the schedule. Gaps in protection are when infestations take hold.
Around the home:
- Keep grass short and clear leaf litter near where your dog rests.
- Wash bedding in hot water every week during tick season.
- Check walls, kennel corners and cracks for ticks if you have found several on your dog.
- Treat every dog in the household at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
My dog stays mostly indoors. Do they need tick prevention? Usually yes. Brown dog ticks can live and breed indoors, and a single walk or visitor's dog can bring them in.
I left the head in. Is that dangerous? A small piece of mouthpart left behind usually works its way out like a splinter. Keep the spot clean and see your vet if it becomes swollen or infected.