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Why is my dog acting disoriented, breathing fast, and licking after ticks?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 10 months old | 18 lbs

my dog is a small mixed breed about 18lbs. going on 3 days he has exhibited the symptoms below off and on: “fly biting” but biting or licking himself or the floor looking around as if he is seeing things that aren’t there sniffing around a lot nose might be runny breathing a little fast, even when resting trouble relaxing he has red bumps in places likely from tick bites, i’ve pulled many off of him. there has been no worsening or improvement in 2 days.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Jessica Desrosiers

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on May 22nd, 2022

It sounds like Tato may have an underlying illness causing him distress, especially if he is acting out of sorts, has had behavior changes, and also had a lot of tick bites in recent days that can cause illnesses such as lyme disease, tick fevers, and more. Since these symptoms have been ongoing for two days without improvement, it would be best to bring Tato into your vet ASAP for a full exam, bloodwork, neuro exams, and additional testing as needed.
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