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My senior dog has a bump behind her ear. Is it an engorged tick?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 15 years and 10 months old | 15 lbs

Hello! My dog is 16 years old. She is a Shih Tzu pug mix. Today we noticed a big bump behind her ear on her neck. It doesn’t look like an old age bump or a scab. It is protruding out of her skin and almost looks like the body of a tick. Just wondering if you have seen this before, and if you can tell by looking at the picture if it is indeed a tick. Thank you!

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on April 27th, 2021

I agree that this looks like an engorged tick on Bella's neck. Try to grab at the base of the attachment either firmly with a pair of tweezers or with your fingers, then smoothly and confidently pull it straight out. Your goal is to pull it straight out so that none of the mouth parts are left behind in the skin. If you're unable to remove it, seek veterinary attention for help in removing it. I can't tell what type of tick it is from the angles in this picture, but remember that ticks can transmit a variety of different infectious diseases. Due to this, I would have a blood test run on Bella in about 6 months to check for some of the more common diseases, like Lyme, Ehrlichia, or Anaplasma. If you don't already have her on a good flea and tick preventive medication, be sure to start one right away. I hope that everything goes well!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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