Yes, if a tick that carries the bacterium that causes Lyme disease falls off your dog and then attaches itself to you, you can get sick that way.
It’s reasonable to worry about. The good news is that tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease and anaplasmosis don't pass from dog to human through contact, licking, or sharing a couch. Your dog can be infected and pose no direct infection risk to you. The bacteria need a tick bite to move between hosts. The bad news is that nothing prevents the tick from falling off your dog and then biting you.
Dogs that walk through the woods or brush often come home with ticks. Some are attached and feeding, others are unattached and lost in the coat. That second category is trouble because it means they can fall off the coat and onto your couch or a dog bed. Then if you brush by, you can be bitten. It doesn’t help that nymphal ticks are only the size of poppy seeds. That’s why they’re so often the reason for Lyme disease transmission. They’re very hard to spot.
To prevent this from happening, check your dog before they come inside after time in tick-prone areas. You can do this by running fingertips against the grain around the ears, under the collar, in the armpits and groin, between the pads, and around the tail. Keep pets on veterinarian-prescribed preventives as well. If you find ticks, remove them with fine-tipped tweezers by gripping close to the skin and pulling straight up. Wash your hands when you're done.
If this happens often, consider professional tick control. Most tick encounters happen at home, and reducing the tick population means you won’t have as many ticks to worry about in the first place.
If your dog is bringing ticks into the house, Mosquito Squad of Rockford can help. Mosquito Squad treats the shaded areas of your yard where ticks wait for a host. This will help you protect your family and pets with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring cycle.
