How Long Can a Tick Live on a Dog?

Do a tick check each time you take Tippi out for a romp in the grassy, wooded area behind your house. Areas like those are ticks' favorite places to hang out and wait for dinner to come romping by. At the very least, the little blood-suckers will cause your dog discomfort, but allowing them to remain on your dog puts her at risk of contracting Lyme disease, spotted fever or another nefarious illness.

  1. About a Week

    • Ticks only use your dog for food, not for living quarters, so they only need to stay on Tippi long enough to get their fill. The University of Florida says that an adult female tick will remain seven to 10 days on a host to feed. That's why it's necessary not only to check your dog immediately after an outing in the wilderness, but to continue to do so daily. They're just little guys when they're hungry, but once they start feeding, they get bigger. A small tick you may have missed on your first tick check may be easier to spot the second or third time around.

    Tick Season

    • Ticks thrive in warm climates. In areas of the country that don't have a freezing winter season, they can live and breed 12 months out of the year. Even areas that get frost in the autumn can't be considered tick-less after the temperatures drop because ticks can become a problem again if the weather warms up for a couple of days. During this time, the little parasites have the opportunity to latch onto Tippi and start their week-long feeding frenzy.

    Removing Ticks

    • It takes about 48 hours for a tick to pass infection onto his host, so getting the little bugs off Tippi ASAP is vital. "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats" warns against burning them off with a cigarette or a match. That "home remedy" is one that doesn't work and puts your dog at risk of being burned. Instead, spray Tippi's hair with a tick insecticide and then use a fine-toothed flea comb to comb out ticks that haven't taken hold yet. If you do find ticks that are already imbedded, you can use a pair of tweezers to grip the tick as close to his head as possible, and then pull it gently from Tippi's skin. Having the vet remove ticks is a wise option. If you try pulling one out and the tick's head remains under Tippi's skin, it could cause an infection that she'll have to see the vet for, anyway. Besides, it's always best to consult an experienced veterinarian regarding the health and treatment of your dog.

    Keeping Tippi Tick-Free

    • If your dog is exposed frequently to areas where she could get ticks, you can help keep her tick-free by bathing her with flea and tick shampoo in addition to frequent tick checks. Talk to your veterinarian about topical treatments, too, such as sprays and spot-ons. If you're unsure about the safety of using such things on Tippi, your vet can reassure you. "The Complete Healthy Dog Handbook" by Betsy Brevitz, published in 2009, confirms that most dogs have no reaction to spot-on treatments. However, occasionally they can affect a dog with sensitive skin, causing irritation and redness at the point of application.