Ticks – Nobody Likes Them

Ticks can surprise people who have never seen one attached before. The sight is unpleasant, especially when it is already feeding - but surprise should not turn into panic.

Ticks do not bite aggressively, and they do not attack when touched. You can remove one calmly, even with your fingers, as long as you do it properly and without crushing it.

An attached tick is a situation to handle, not to fear. Read the guidance below and act methodically. This article is based on personal experience and everyday practice with our dog. It is not a substitute for veterinary advice. If anything here raises questions or doubts about your dog’s health, consult your veterinarian - that is always the right step.

Ticks don’t care whether your dog is young or old - after every walk, check your dog’s skin carefully.

Ticks are part of the landscape where we live and walk. If you spend time outdoors with a dog, you will meet them. There is no strategy that guarantees you won’t.

What matters is not panic, but routine.

Ticks don’t always look the same. A flat one is easy to miss, a blood-fed one looks completely different.

If you find a tick

Remove it immediately. Do it properly, but do not wait.

You have no reliable way of knowing how long it has been attached. Some pathogens require time, others may be transmitted quickly. The only reasonable rule in practice is simple: once you see it, remove it.

Never assume you have found a tick-free area just because you did not find any on your dog last time - next time, you may find a dozen.

Removing a tick With your fingers (when you have no tools)

1. Expose the tick - part the hair and clearly see where the tick enters the skin.

2. Grip low - place your fingernails on both sides of the tick, as close to the skin as possible. Aim for the area right at skin level, not the abdomen.

3. Do not squeeze - keep your grip firm but gentle. Do not crush the abdomen.

4. Pull straight out - pull slowly and steadily, straight away from the skin. No jerking.

5. Check the site - look at the tick and the bite area. If a small dark fragment remains in the skin, do not dig it out with your nails or a blade - clean the area and monitor it.

6. Clean and observe - disinfect the bite site and wash your hands. Over the next days, monitor the area and your dog’s general condition.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Grabbing the tick by the abdomen instead of close to the skin.

• Squeezing it too hard.

• Twisting, spinning, or trying to “unscrew” it.

• Pulling abruptly instead of using steady pressure.

• Digging into the skin to remove small remaining fragments.

If you have proper tools available (hook, lasso, fine-tipped tweezers), use them - they provide better control and reduce the risk of crushing the tick. The tools described below can also be useful.

Here are simple tools that make removing an attached tick easier and more precise. They are available at veterinary clinics and pharmacies. And if you don’t have one at hand - don’t worry, you can use your fingers, as long as you remove the tick carefully and without crushing it.

Tick Twister (tick removal hook)

These plastic hooks are designed to remove an attached tick without squeezing its body.

How to use:

1. Choose the hook size that fits the tick.

2. Slide the forked end flat against the skin, so the tick fits between the prongs.

3. Lift slightly and rotate gently (steady turning motion).

4. Continue turning until the tick releases.

Do not pull straight up with force and do not crush the tick. After removal, disinfect the area.

Tick Twister® tick removal hooks. These small, match-sized plastic tick removal hooks are simple and practical tools for removing attached ticks without squeezing them. Because they are lightweight and compact, it’s worth keeping one in your wallet, first aid kit, or a small container attached to your dog’s leash.

Tick remover pen (loop-style tool)

This device uses a thin tightening loop to grasp the tick close to the skin.

How to use:

1. Press the button to extend the loop.

2. Place the loop over the tick and position it as close to the skin as possible.

3. Slowly release the button so the loop tightens around the tick’s mouthparts, not the body.

4. Pull upward with steady, even pressure until the tick releases.

Avoid sudden jerks or squeezing the tick’s body. Disinfect the area after removal.

Loop-style tick remover pen. This tool uses a tightening loop to grasp the tick close to the skin. It is larger than the small tick removal hooks, but still smaller than a standard pen. Practical and easy to use, these devices are produced by many different manufacturers and are commonly available in pharmacies and veterinary clinics.

In Short - What We Actually Do

Situation	What we do
Dog	Consistent tick prevention (tablet, collar or spot-on - not “occasionally”)
Us	Permethrin on clothes; DEET or icaridin on skin
Reminder	Ticks don’t fall from trees – they come from grass, brush, and the path
Always	Carry a proper tick removal tool
Routine - after every walk	We check ourselves and Mrok every day
If we find a tick	Remove it immediately and disinfect
After removal	Note the date and observe for changes
If symptoms appear	Contact a vet or doctor
Us - TBE	Vaccination is currently the only specific protection against tick-borne encephalitis.
When you set your rules, apply them every time - even on short, technical walks.

Permethrin works well — but it is highly toxic to cats until fully dry.

Afanisep® 25 WP – an insecticidal concentrate containing permethrin. Once diluted, it can be used to spray clothing for protection against biting and crawling insects. Not for direct use on skin or animals.

Why didn’t I feel it?

Because a tick does not behave like a mosquito.

When it inserts its mouthparts, it releases substances that numb the area and reduce inflammation. In most cases there is no pain and no itching at the beginning. Very often you notice it only once it is already feeding.

Lack of sensation does not tell you when it attached.

A tick attaches without causing pain because it releases anesthetic and anti-inflammatory substances while inserting its mouthparts.

Before the walk

We do not overcomplicate this.

Our dog has consistent tick protection recommended by a veterinarian. During tick season we use repellent on clothing when appropriate. We always carry a proper tick removal tool.

That is the baseline.

We don’t limit Mrok’s needs because of ticks - long walks through meadows and wetlands are where he feels at home.

After the walk

We check. Every time.

On the dog we focus on:

• armpits,

• groin,

• between the toes,

• inside and around the ears,

• under the collar,

• around the tail base.

On ourselves:

• neck and hairline,

• behind the ears,

• armpits,

• waistband area.

Most ticks are found during this simple inspection, not later.

Mrok, open meadows, and a herd of curious young cattle - this is the natural working environment for a dog like an ACD. Natural, but also full of ticks.

Below is a brief overview of the products we use and how each of them works in practice.

NexGard (afoxolaner)

Chewable tablet given once a month.

The active substance circulates in the dog’s bloodstream. A tick must attach and start feeding to be exposed to it.

It does not repel ticks. It kills them after they begin feeding.

Works as protection against Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. Because the tick must bite first, it does not prevent initial attachment.

NexGard contains the active substance afoxolaner. It is also available in combination products that include additional antiparasitic agents for intestinal worms. We do not use the combination version, as our deworming protocol is based on fecal examination results and targeted treatment directed at identified parasites rather than routine broad-spectrum administration.

Permethrin (for clothing)

An insecticide used on fabric, not on skin.

It works on contact. Ticks that crawl onto treated clothing are affected before they can reach the skin.

Applied to pants, socks, boots and outer layers.

Highly toxic to cats in liquid form. Apply away from home and allow clothing to dry completely before contact with cats.

DEET

A skin repellent.

It does not kill ticks. It reduces the chance they will attach.

Applied directly to exposed skin. Protection lasts several hours depending on concentration and conditions.

DEET can permanently damage technical fabrics, DWR coatings, plastics and eyewear. Apply only to skin, not to clothing or gear.

MUGGA is a popular brand in Poland offering DEET-based repellents in different concentrations. We use the “Strong” version, which the manufacturer states contains 50% DEET. Lower concentrations can be sufficient for short walks or moderate conditions and may reduce the risk of skin irritation. Higher concentrations generally provide longer-lasting protection, which can be useful during extended time in high-risk areas such as meadows or wetlands.

Icaridin (Picaridin)

A skin repellent.

Works similarly to DEET, with less odor and lower risk of material damage.

Applied to exposed skin. Duration of protection depends on concentration and environmental conditions.

Over 900 tick species have been identified worldwide - but only a handful matter where we live. In Central Europe, most bites come from just a few species, mainly Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus. Hundreds exist. Only a few actually cross your path.

Mrok and Us - Our Routine

Every walk with Mrok starts with a small backpack. Inside: two first aid kits - one for him, one for us - and a dog evacuation harness in case he can’t walk on his own.

The small green pack is Mrok’s backpack - it always carries the gear that keeps him safe. In the photo, he’s with Monika in a small mountain railway carriage in the Alps.

If you want the full breakdown of what we carry and why, it’s described in detail here: The Dog Backpack

For tick protection specifically, the setup is simple. Clothing treated earlier with permethrin. DEET spray in the pack - for exposed skin when needed.

That’s our standard routine.

We live with cats. We apply permethrin away from the house and handle treated clothing only once it is completely dry.

Liquid permethrin is highly toxic to cats.

Our herd is a mixed crew - cats, a dog, and humans. We look after all of us. Ticks are the only ones not invited.

DEET and Technical Clothing

DEET can permanently damage technical fabrics, DWR coatings, plastics, and eyewear, so it should be applied only to exposed skin and never sprayed on clothing or gear.

Read about how DEET can affect your technical clothing below before you start using it.

Even high-quality technical garments such as Gore-Tex jackets can be affected by products containing DEET.

DEET does not usually damage the membrane itself, but it can weaken or dissolve the outer water-repellent finish (DWR), affect surface coatings, and in some cases cause discoloration of synthetic fabrics. When the DWR layer is compromised, the fabric can “wet out” more easily in rain, even though the membrane underneath may still be intact.

For this reason, DEET-based repellents should be applied to exposed skin only, not sprayed on jackets, shells, or other technical gear.

If you’d like to understand exactly what DWR is and how it works, we describe it in detail in our separate material on the subject.

If you grab a tick with your fingers, it will not bite you. Ticks do not have teeth in the way many people imagine. When handled, they usually stop moving rather than attack. Some people who work in areas with a very high number of ticks do not use tools. They are able to grasp an attached tick precisely at the point where it enters the skin - without squeezing the body - and remove it with a steady motion. Touching a tick with your fingers is not dangerous in itself. The key is not to crush it and to remove it properly. Act calmly and remove it.

The presence of an attached tick does not mean that illness will follow. Most tick bites do not result in infection. Transmission depends on multiple factors, including the species of tick, how long it has been attached, and whether it carries a pathogen at all.

Finding a tick that has already fed on you or your dog is a reason to act - not to panic. Remove it properly, as described earlier in this text, disinfect the area, and observe over the following days.

Calm action is the right response. Ignoring an attached tick is not.

Your dog needs movement. So do you. Ticks are part of the environment. They do not disappear.

Don’t avoid forests, meadows or trails because of ticks. Prepare properly and go.

What works for us works here in Poland. Names of products and regulations may differ where you live.

Use solutions that are available in your country and follow local medical guidance. If vaccination against TBE is available where you are, consider it seriously.

That’s it.