The Day I Found a Pregnant Tick on My Dog

Our senior technician has unique experience with pregnant ticks and their reproduction practices….

Here is Adam’s story:

In the early summer of last year I was finishing up a run with Bella, my Catahoula/Great Pyrenees. As I went to refill my dog’s water bowl, I noticed she was relentlessly scratching a specific spot on her back end.

I’m sure you can guess where this is going. I curiously investigated through her fur, checking for any ticks or fleas that could be irritating her. I found nothing.

The next day I was sitting on the back porch while Bella was licking around the same spot targeted the previous day. Again, I went and sifted through only this time to find a sore spot and some redness. It looked as if my dog had chewed at her own skin, or been bitten by something.

I could not find a single tick, chigger, flea, spider, mite, or any kind of pest for that matter!

I quickly searched the internet for possible answers. While thumbing through articles online, my dog lazily walked towards her usual resting spot in the living room only this time she did not plop down onto the carpet like her typical routine.

She sniffed at a certain spot on the carpet. I squinted and focused in from across the room to the spot that had captured her attention and there it was…

Intensive Tick Control

A pregnant tick. Accompanied by what appeared to be coffee grounds, the couple thousand tick eggs that had already been laid.

I quickly grabbed a tissue and retrieved the in-labor pregnant tick. Once to the nearest bathroom I’m holding the mother tick over the toilet. Naturally I squeeze it a bit and hundreds of more tick eggs burst out into the water! I flush it immediately and grab the vacuum to finish the job.

The vet said that Bella wouldn’t show symptoms of any infection like Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for weeks, maybe even months. If by chance there was any disease transmitted, Bella would most likely start to have problems walking because of joint swelling.

After being carefully checked for over nine months Bella is clear of any joint swelling, sleeping safe and sound.

This adventurous pregnant tick traveled all the way from the wooded park to our living room using Bella as her mode of transportation. I now make it a habit to triple check my pets as we settle back in from our outdoor activities. Please try and do the same, for the sake of our furry friends.