Tick Season Guide for Dogs and Cats
Tick exposure can put pets at risk for skin irritation, tick-borne disease, and in some cases serious illness. This guide covers peak seasonal risks, prevention steps, warning signs, and when to call your veterinarian.
When to call a vet
Go to the ER now
- ● Go to an emergency vet right away if your pet has trouble breathing, severe weakness, collapse, inability to stand, or rapidly worsening paralysis after a tick bite or heavy tick exposure.
- ● Emergency care is also needed for neurologic signs such as wobbliness, profound lethargy, or trouble swallowing, which can occur with severe tick-related illness or tick paralysis in some regions.
- ● Seek urgent emergency help if your pet is having a severe reaction after a flea or tick product, especially tremors, seizures, vomiting, or marked agitation.
See a vet within 24 hours
- ● Call your veterinarian promptly if you find an attached tick and your pet seems painful, feverish, tired, stiff, lame, or off food.
- ● Book a vet visit if your pet develops swollen joints, limping, enlarged lymph nodes, vomiting, or behavior changes within days to weeks after a tick bite.
- ● Call your vet the same day if you are unable to remove the tick completely, if the bite site becomes very red or infected, or if your cat was exposed to a dog-only tick product.
Watch at home, call if it worsens
- ● Monitor at home if your pet seems normal after a tick is removed, but continue daily checks and watch for changes in appetite, energy, mobility, or behavior for the next several weeks.
- ● A small bump or mild local irritation can happen after tick removal, but it should improve rather than worsen.
- ● When in doubt, call your vet—especially if your pet is very young, elderly, immunocompromised, or has a history of tick-borne disease.
Top Dangers This Season
Tick-borne infections
Ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and region-specific infections that may affect pets differently.
Hidden ticks in thick fur
Ticks are easy to miss, especially in long-coated pets. Common hiding places include the ears, eyelids, collar area, armpits, between the toes, groin, and around the tail.
Cat sensitivity to products
Cats can be highly sensitive to certain flea and tick chemicals. Never use a dog flea or tick product on a cat unless your veterinarian specifically recommends it.
Ticks brought indoors
Pets can carry ticks into the home, where those ticks may later attach to people or other animals.
Tick paralysis and severe illness
In some cases, ticks can cause rapidly progressive weakness or paralysis, making prompt veterinary care critical.
Yard and trail exposure
Tall grass, brush, wooded edges, leaf litter, and warm humid environments increase the chance of tick contact during outdoor activity.
How to Keep Your Pet Safe
Use veterinarian-recommended tick prevention for every pet at risk, and ask which products are safest for your dog or cat. Check your pet daily after walks, hikes, yard time, or outdoor play, paying close attention to the ears, face, neck, under the collar, between the toes, armpits, groin, and tail area. Remove attached ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool by grasping close to the skin and pulling steadily straight out. Keep grass trimmed, reduce brush and leaf litter, and limit roaming in heavy tick habitat when possible. Remember that tick risk is not limited to one short season in every region, so many veterinarians recommend year-round prevention when appropriate.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
If you find a tick on your pet, remove it carefully as soon as possible and wash your hands afterward. Avoid crushing the tick with bare fingers. Watch your pet closely for the next several weeks for fever, low appetite, stiffness, limping, vomiting, weakness, or behavior changes, and call your veterinarian if any of these signs appear. If your pet seems very sick, weak, collapses, has trouble breathing, or develops tremors or seizures after a tick product exposure, seek emergency veterinary care immediately. If you are unsure whether the tick was fully removed or whether your pet needs testing or treatment, call your vet.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is tick season for pets?
What symptoms can a tick bite cause in dogs or cats?
Should I call my vet every time I find a tick?
Can indoor pets get ticks?
Are tick prevention products safe for cats?
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary medical advice. Reading this content does not establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Every pet is different — always consult a licensed veterinarian before making decisions about your pet's health, diet, or care. If you'd like personalized guidance, you can talk to one of our vets. If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency, contact your local emergency animal hospital immediately.