Ticks are a common pest that can cause issues for both you and your dog. In addition to carrying Lyme disease, ticks also carry other things, can cause infections, create other health issues, and more. They can also be hard to find sometimes, even if you are regularly checking your dog for them. Here are a few places to look for ticks on your dog:

1. Examine All Around Their Ears

There are a lot of crevices for ticks to hide in around your dog’s ears. Make sure you’re checking the surface of the ears, behind their ears, and also inside their ears. Ticks can travel deep inside a dog’s ear and may go unnoticed if they are deeper in the ear canal.

A flashlight can help you take a quick look inside the ear. If your dog is scratching at their ear a lot, rubbing it on things often, and shaking their head a lot, it’s worth taking a closer look at their ears.

You may just need to clean your dog’s ears, but these things can also be signs of an ear infection, a tick irritating the ear canal, and more; all things you want to make sure are taken care of before they cause serious issues.

2. Look Under Your Dog’s Wrinkles

If you have a snub-nosed dog breed, then your dog has some loose jowls, face wrinkles, and maybe some wrinkles along their body as well. Puppies in general also tend to have some skin wrinkles before they hit a growth spurt.

As cute as they are, wrinkles are notorious for trapping dirt and moisture. They are also fantastic hiding places for pests like ticks. If your dog has some skin folds on their body and/or face, make sure you are looking for ticks in these places as well.

3. Check Between Their Toes

Ticks that latch on on the bottom of your dog’s feet tend to be relatively easy to find. However, they can also crawl in between your dog’s toes and bite there. It’s important to thoroughly check your dog’s feet in between paw pads and also between their toes.

A dog will often chew or lick at irritated places. This is sometimes one of the reasons why dogs lick their paws. So, if you see your dog biting at their paws or licking them more than usual, something about their feet is bothering them. It could be a tick, or it could be something else. Regardless, you want to check it out and go to the vet if needed.

4. Examine Your Dog’s Eyelids

Eyelids are another place ticks can hide on your dog. Not only do you need to look carefully at the eyelid itself, but you also need to check out the areas around the eyes too. And, be careful of dismissing stuff you see as normal.

Unfortunately, ticks near the eyelids can look like eye discharge, skin tags, or something else that usually isn’t a concern. A tick needs to be attached for at least 48 hours to transmit Lyme disease. If they’re overlooked around the eyes, they stand a chance at being attached long enough to transmit this or other diseases.

5. Take a Look at Their Tail

Your dog’s tail is another one of the places to look for ticks on your dog. You want to check the whole tail carefully, but you want to pay special attention to the base and underneath it. These are areas that can be hard to check thoroughly and are a great place for ticks to hide.

This is true for all dogs, and especially for dogs with thick or long fur. A fine-toothed comb can be a big help in checking your dog’s tail and catching any ticks that may be hitching a ride there.

6. Check Your Dog’s Groin

Although it’s not fun for you or your dog to thoroughly check sensitive areas, you do want to make sure you are checking your dog’s groin for ticks as well. It’s a dark, moist region with plenty of places for ticks to hide, which means they can attach and stay hidden for a while if you are not carefully checking this area.

7. Look Under Their Collar

Under a dog collar or dog harness is a great place for ticks to hide. Make sure you are looking at the fur and skin under these items, in addition to the items themselves, to ensure there are no ticks crawling around. The same is true for any jacket, sweater, or other clothes your dog may be wearing when they go outside.

8. Inspect Your Dog’s Armpits

Your dog’s “armpits” are where their front legs meet their body. The region is higher up, dark, and difficult for your dog or you to reach. This makes it another good hiding place for ticks and one of the places to look for ticks on your dog to make sure none are trying to attach there or are attached long enough to cause issues.

9. Check Anywhere They Are Scratching, Licking, or Chewing a Lot

One of the signs your dog is in pain is licking, chewing or biting, or scratching a lot at a specific area. These are also things your dog will do if an area is irritating them in other ways. If you see them doing these things more often and focusing on a particular spot or series of areas, pay attention and check it out.

There could be a variety of things causing it, and ticks could be one of them. Insect bites cause inflammation and are irritating to your dog; repeated scratching can lead to hot spots and other issues. So, it’s important to track down the cause and address it.

These are just a few places to look for ticks on your dog. Even if it seems like tick season is over, it’s still important to pay attention. A warm day and some sunlight are all it takes for ticks to start moving around again. Making sure you are protecting your dog from fleas, ticks, and other pests and checking them year-round can help prevent a lot of issues.

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