Fluffy dog standing in tall grass, the kind of outdoor habitat where ticks wait to attach to passing dogs
on September 18, 2026

Ticks on Dogs: How to Remove & Prevent Them (UK Guide)

Ticks attach to dogs mainly in long grass, woodland and heather between spring and autumn, and should be removed promptly with a tick-removal tool by twisting straight out - never pulled, crushed or burned. UK vet data shows around 1 in 3 dogs picks up a tick at some point, with curly-coated crossbreeds like Cockapoos and Cavapoos at the highest risk, so regular checks after every walk matter more than most owners realise.

Written by Jamie Sinclair, who writes about canine health, nutrition, and everyday care for Doggy Dailies - focused on translating veterinary research and real ingredient science into practical, honest guidance UK dog owners can use. Health-claim sections reviewed against formulation guidance from Lourdes María Arnedo Amat.

Last updated: 18 September 2026

Table of Contents

What UK vet data actually says about tick risk

Most advice pages on ticks repeat the same generic warnings without saying how common the problem actually is in the UK, or which dogs are most exposed. Two large, named studies fill that gap.

The Big Tick Project, run by the University of Bristol with over 1,400 veterinary practices, examined 14,711 dogs across the UK and found that 31% were carrying at least one tick at the time of checking. The South West of England, Scotland and East Anglia showed the highest rates, but the study's lead, Professor Richard Wall, noted that "ticks are very widely dispersed" - meaning no region, including urban gardens, is truly tick-free.

A more recent 2024 study from the Royal Veterinary College's VetCompass programme took a different angle: it looked at over 900,000 UK veterinary health records to work out which breeds are actually being brought in with tick infestations. The findings surprised a lot of owners. Poodle-cross breeds - Cockapoos, Cavapoos, Goldendoodles and Cavachons - along with Standard Poodles, Cairn Terriers and Golden Retrievers, carried the highest odds of a recorded tick infestation. Male dogs had 1.24 times the risk of females, dogs with medium-length coats had roughly 2.2 times the risk of short-coated dogs, and dogs with dropped, floppy ears carried extra risk too. Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, Chihuahuas and English Bulldogs sat at the low-risk end.

The likely explanation is coat structure, not breed "type" as such: dense, curly or medium-length fur close to the skin gives a tick more surface to grip and more places to stay hidden during a quick post-walk check, while short, smooth coats make ticks far easier to spot. If you own a Cockapoo, Cavapoo or similar cross, this is a genuine, data-backed reason to check more thoroughly, not just more often.

What is a tick, and how does it get onto my dog?

Ticks are small, blood-feeding parasites related to spiders rather than insects. In the UK, the most common species affecting dogs is the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus), which waits on grass, bracken and low vegetation and climbs onto a passing dog or person - it doesn't jump or fly. Once attached, a tick bites through the skin and feeds for several days, swelling from pinhead-sized to roughly the size of a small pea before dropping off on its own.

Ticks are most active from March to October, with peak activity in spring and again in early autumn, though mild UK winters mean some activity can now continue year-round in sheltered spots.

Where to check your dog for ticks

Close-up of hands parting a dog's ear fur to check the skin for ticks

Ticks favour warm, thin-skinned areas where they're less likely to be brushed off. After every walk in grass, woodland or heathland, run your hands slowly over:

  • The head, ears and inside of the ear flaps
  • Around the eyes and muzzle
  • The neck and under the collar
  • The armpits (axillae) and groin
  • Between the toes and around the paw pads
  • Under the tail

A tick often feels like a small, firm bump that wasn't there before - distinct from a skin tag because it's usually raised and slightly mobile at the tip. Long-haired and curly-coated breeds need a slower, more deliberate check, since a tick can sit against the skin under several centimetres of fur without being visible at a glance.

How to remove a tick from a dog safely

Speed matters less than technique - a tick removed cleanly after a day is far better than one removed badly in a panic. Use a proper tick-removal tool (a hook or twister-style tool from a vet practice or pet shop) rather than fingers or household tweezers where possible.

  1. Part the fur so you can see the tick and the skin around it clearly.
  2. Position the tool as close to the dog's skin as possible, gripping the tick's body, not its legs.
  3. Twist and pull steadily in one continuous motion - most tick tools work by rotating rather than yanking straight up. Slow, steady pressure encourages the tick to release its mouthparts intact.
  4. Check the bite site once the tick is off, to make sure no mouthparts or head fragment have been left behind.
  5. Dispose of the tick by wrapping it in tape or flushing it - never crush it between your fingers, as this can release infectious fluid.

If a small dark fragment remains in the skin after removal, don't dig for it. A little residual irritation as the skin heals is normal; a vet can remove a stubborn fragment safely if it doesn't resolve within a few days.

Removal mistakes that make things worse

Several traditional "home remedies" are still widely repeated online despite being actively unhelpful:

  • Don't smother it in petroleum jelly, oil or alcohol. This doesn't make the tick let go faster - it's more likely to cause the tick to regurgitate its stomach contents into the bite, increasing infection risk.
  • Don't use a lit match or heat. Ticks don't reliably respond to heat, and this risks burning your dog's skin.
  • Don't grab and yank without twisting. Pulling straight up with fingers or blunt tweezers is the single most common cause of the head or mouthparts snapping off and staying embedded.
  • Don't squeeze the body. Compressing an engorged tick can force its gut contents back into the wound.

What to do after removing a tick

Clean the bite site gently with warm water (a mild saline solution is fine) and keep an eye on it for the next few weeks rather than assuming the job is done once the tick is gone. Note the date of the bite somewhere you'll remember it - if your dog becomes unwell in the following days or weeks, being able to tell your vet exactly when and where the bite happened speeds up diagnosis considerably.

Watch for:

  • Redness, swelling or discharge at the bite site lasting more than a few days
  • A firm lump that doesn't shrink over 2-3 weeks
  • Any of the wider illness signs covered in the section below

Tick-borne disease risk in the UK

The main disease risk from UK ticks is Lyme disease (borreliosis). Not every tick carries it, and not every bite results in infection, but it's worth knowing the signs because early treatment matters. According to the PDSA, symptoms in dogs can include lethargy, fever, reduced appetite, lameness that shifts between legs, and swollen, painful joints, usually appearing 2-5 months after a bite rather than immediately.

The Big Tick Project also recorded a small number of UK cases of canine babesiosis (a tick-borne blood parasite) in dogs with no travel history - historically rare in Britain, and a reminder that the tick-disease picture here is shifting rather than static. Ticks picked up while travelling abroad with your dog can also carry species and diseases not native to the UK, so parasite protection matters even more around travel.

If your dog shows any of these signs in the weeks after a known or suspected tick bite, mention the bite specifically when you contact your vet - it changes what they'll test for.

Preventing ticks in the first place

Removal is damage control; prevention is what actually keeps the numbers down. A sensible approach combines several layers:

  • Vet-prescribed parasite protection. Ask your vet which tick treatment suits your dog's age, weight and lifestyle - options include spot-on treatments, tablets and collars, and effectiveness/timing varies between products, so this is a conversation for your vet rather than a guess at the pet shop.
  • Stick to paths in high-risk months. Ticks wait on the tips of grass and bracken at roughly ankle-to-knee height, so keeping to cleared paths through tall vegetation between March and October reduces exposure.
  • Check every single time. Given that roughly a third of dogs pick up a tick according to UK surveillance data, a daily habit of running your hands over your dog after any outdoor time is genuinely proportionate, not excessive.
  • Know your dog's specific risk. If you own a Cockapoo, Cavapoo, Goldendoodle, Cavachon, Standard Poodle, Cairn Terrier or Golden Retriever, treat the higher odds shown in the VetCompass data as a reason to check more carefully, especially around the ears and under longer fur.

General coat and skin condition also plays a supporting role here - a dog with dry, flaky or irritated skin can be harder to check thoroughly, since existing skin changes and tick bites can look similar at a glance. If your dog's coat and skin need broader support, our guide to natural itch support for dogs covers what's normal and what isn't.

When to see a vet urgently

Most tick bites resolve without incident once the tick is removed correctly. Contact your vet promptly if you notice:

  • You can't remove the tick fully, or a fragment is clearly embedded and not resolving
  • The bite site becomes increasingly red, swollen, hot or discharges pus
  • Your dog develops lameness, lethargy, fever or swollen joints in the weeks after a bite
  • You've found multiple ticks and your dog seems generally unwell
  • Your dog has travelled abroad recently and has a tick you can't identify

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove a tick from my dog myself?

Yes, in most cases. Use a proper tick-removal tool, grip close to the skin, and twist steadily rather than pulling straight up. If you're not confident, or the tick is in a difficult spot like inside the ear, your vet practice can remove it quickly and safely.

What happens if a tick's head gets left in my dog's skin?

A small retained fragment usually causes mild, short-lived local irritation as the skin heals and pushes it out naturally. Don't dig at it. If swelling, redness or discharge develops, or the area hasn't settled within a few days, ask your vet to check it.

How long can a tick stay on a dog before it's a problem?

Disease transmission risk generally increases the longer a tick stays attached, which is why prompt, correct removal matters more than the exact number of hours. A tick can feed for several days if undetected, so daily checks during walking season are the most reliable safeguard.

Are certain dog breeds really more likely to get ticks?

According to 2024 VetCompass research analysing over 900,000 UK veterinary records, yes - Poodle-cross breeds (Cockapoos, Cavapoos, Goldendoodles, Cavachons), Standard Poodles, Cairn Terriers and Golden Retrievers showed the highest odds of a recorded tick infestation, most likely due to coat texture making ticks harder to spot.

Do ticks in the UK carry Lyme disease?

Some UK ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease (borreliosis), though not all bites result in infection. Signs in dogs - lethargy, fever, shifting lameness, swollen joints - usually appear weeks to months after the bite, so early vet treatment depends on you remembering when and where the bite happened.

Can indoor or garden-only dogs get ticks?

Yes. The Big Tick Project found ticks widely dispersed across the UK regardless of urban or rural setting, and garden vegetation, hedgerows and even visiting wildlife (birds, hedgehogs, foxes) can carry ticks into gardens. Regular checks matter even for dogs that rarely leave a garden or park.

Sources

  • Abdullah, S. et al. "Ticks infesting domestic dogs in the UK: a large-scale surveillance programme (The Big Tick Project)." University of Bristol / PMC. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  • Royal Veterinary College VetCompass. "The epidemiology of tick infestation in dog breeds in the UK" (2024), Journal of Small Animal Practice. onlinelibrary.wiley.com
  • PDSA. "Ticks on dogs." pdsa.org.uk
  • Dogs Trust. "Ticks on Dogs and How to Remove Them." dogstrust.org.uk

This article is for general information and doesn't replace advice from your vet, who can assess your dog individually. If you suspect a tick-borne illness, or you're unsure about a bite, contact your vet promptly.