Ticks are member of the arachnid class along with spiders and Scorpio . These hard customers have eight leg and a taste for origin . They like to hang out on top of grasses and other plant waiting to grab onto a make pass human being or animal and some species and living stages can make it up to two years waiting for a meal .
All ticks go through four basic spirit stages : eggs , larva , or ejaculate tick ( looks like a tick but only has six peg ) , houri , and adult . Some coinage go through multiple nymphal stages . Each transition call for a blood meal for the tick to molt into the next stage .
As if all of that was n’t bad enough , tick can also beam disease . When a ticking bites a legion ( such as your dog ) , it remains attach for several days slowly sucking origin . During this time , blood - bear leech can be transmitted from the tick to the host and frailty versa .
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How Many Types of Ticks Are There in the U.S.?
There are more than 90 species of ticks in the U.S.Thankfully , only a fistful of these are oft regain on dog . However , each species is found in different orbit of the land and can affect a dog ’s wellness differently , so it ’s useful to be able to recognise the various types when you observe your dog developing a check - borne health condition .
What Are the Different Types of Ticks Typically Found on Dogs?
There are several common types of check found on dogs in the U.S. Each one is unique in appearance and may have specific home ground preferences and behaviour form .
American Dog Tick
Formally known asDermacentor variabilis , the American detent tick is brown with whitened laurel wreath ( a half - roundabout shield on females and more elaborate shape on males ) . It is prevalent in the easterly U.S. , Midwest , and Northwest , and prefers open fields and grassy area . Some of the diseases that it can transmit to dogs include Rocky Mountain spotted fever , Ehrlichia , anaplasmosis , babesiosis , and tick paralysis .
Brown Dog Tick
officially known asRhipicephalus sanguineus , the browned dog ticking is , well , brown . And it likes dogs . click are the primary boniface for brown dog ticks , and they can live their entire aliveness cycles on and near dog — which unfortunately include your house and car .
While they can not hold up outside during cold winters , they are utterly happy to localize up store in your house or kennel snug and warm in your dog-iron ' bedding . Some of the disease that they can transmit to hotdog let in Ehrlichia , babesiosis , bartonellosis , hepatozoonosis , and Rocky Mountain blob fever .
Deer Tick (Also Called Black-Legged Tick)
Formally recognise asIxodes scapularis , the cervid tick or black - legged tick is reddish - Orange River with a black carapace and blackened legs . It is prevalent in the eastern and midwestern U.S. and is fond of Natalie Wood but can thrive in a variety of habitat . These check mark can be active any clock time the temperature is above freeze , even in the heart of the wintertime . Some of the diseases they can transmit to dogs include Lyme disease , anaplasmosis , and Ehrlichia .
Lone Star Tick
Formally known asAmblyomma americanum , the lone star tick is reddish - brown and female person have a characteristic white spot that gives them their name . These tick are most common in the southeast U.S. but also present in the East and Midwest . They are known for their aggression and can sometimes cause humanity to become allergic to red meat . Some of the diseases they can transmit to hotdog include Ehrlichia , Rocky Mountain spotted febricity , and tick paralysis .
Asian Longhorned Tick
Formally known asHaemophysalis longicornis , the Asian longhorned tick is red - browned in colour with extremely long ramification . This ticking is a newcomer to the U.S. and was first found here in 2017 . So far it has mostly been found in easterly states . We do n’t know much about what diseases it can spread to dogs ( or if it brought some disease found in Asia with it when it locomote in ) , but we do hump that female can procreate without pair . This can direct to terrifyingly large infestations that can kill even large beast due to line of descent loss .
Other Less Common Types of Ticks That Can Infect Dogs
Pacific Coast Tick
officially make out asDermacentor occidentalis , the Pacific Coast tick is mottle brown in colouration . It is the most common tick in California but can be found throughout the West Coast . Its claim to fame is a nasty bit combat injury that can be mistaken for a spider pungency . Rocky Mountain blob fever is one of the diseases this type of tick can transmit to dogs .
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
Formally known asDermacentor andersoni , the Rocky Mountain wood tick is chocolate-brown with a white-hot carapace . As the name suggests , it is most usual in the Rocky Mountain states and choose scrubland in raising over 4,000 feet . Diseases that it can channel to dogs include Rocky Mountain spotted feverishness and check palsy .
Western Black-Legged Tick
Formally known asIxodes pacificus , the Western black - legged check is the cervid tick ’s West Coast cousin . It has a red - orange tree body with a black shield and dim leg . It is most prevailing in the western U.S. and can be found in any terrain , specially woods and grassy areas . Some of the diseases it can transmit to dogs let in Lyme disease and Ehrlichia .
Dog Tick-Borne Diseases to Look Out For
According to the AKC Canine Health Foundation , the most common check - bear diseases in dog are :
Other less common disease can also occur , including check mark paralysis and a salmagundi of differentfevers .
What to Do If You Find a Tick on Your Dog
If you detect atick on your dog-iron , these are three steps you should take .
If you find an connected ticking on your andiron , peculiarly if it is gorge , make a note of the day you found it . This will be utilitarian information if your dog set out to show signs of malady down the road that could be do by a ticking - borne disease . Most diseases take time to be transmitted , so an overgorge tick is more potential to have broadcast disease than one that is still flat .
Most veterinary clinic have in - house trial that can screen for Lyme disease , anaplasma , and Ehrlichia . It will take several weeks from the time of the ticking bite before your pawl will potentially have enough antibodies to show up on the tryout , so you do n’t need to schedule an exigency appointment .
Paul Lemke / Adobe Stock
tick by State . PestWorld .
About the Tick - Borne Disease Research Initiative . AKC Canine Health Foundation .
Courtesy of CDC
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Courtesy of CDC
Courtesy of CDC
Images Courtesy of CDC
