My puppy had a tick. Does he really need antibiotics for a tick bite?

Hello. Not all medical doctors will treat a person bitten by a tick with antibiotics. It is overkill for you, as well as overkill for your pet. It is just not necessary. However, if you live in a Lymes endemic area, or you are immunocompromised, then antibiotics might be appropriate, but we absolutely do not automatically treat dogs with tick bites. I would never treat myself with antibiotics each time I pulled off a tick, & I get several each year. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The short answer is most likely no. Most tick-borne diseases need the tick to be attached longer to be able to transmit them. However, these could transmit after a much shorter time attached. In reality, it is unlikely that you need to be worried at all. If you ever notice any signs of sickness such as inappetence, vomiting, diarrhea, pain and/or lameness, have him evaluated by a veterinarian then. Good luck and have a good night!

As long as the area on Miley's skin looks okay (no significant redness or swelling), then you don't need to take her to the vet right away after finding an attached tick. If the tick was attached for long enough to transmit disease, like Lyme disease, Ehrlichia or Anaplasma, then it takes about 6 months for a blood test to diagnose an infection. Unfortunately, there are no measures to take to stop any of these diseases if she's already been infected. I would certainly mention this tick attachment to Miley's vet the next time she goes in for an exam because her vet will most likely recommend running a tick-borne disease blood test about 6 months from the date of tick exposure. In the long run, definitely add some tick prevention in for Miley. Seresto collars, K9 Advantix II, Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica or Credelio are all great options to discuss with your vet. I hope this helps and that everything goes well!

It is likely you will not see clinical symptoms for any tuck borne disease this soon if Otis were to contract one of the diseases. I would recommend starting a flea and tick preventative such as Nexgard and have Otis monitored for tick borne diseases once yearly. The test is cheap and your vet can run it in the hospital. It is a simple snap test that takes 15 minutes to run. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hello, sorry to hear about Bruno. Treatment for babesia may be long, up to 4-6 weeks at times. Bruno may need to be on this medication for this time or longer depending on what your veterinarian sees when Bruno goes in for his recheck. Additionally, Bruno may need more than one medication for this treatment. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I would not recommend sharing medications or treating a dog with no symptoms without confirming infection first - you should ensure that the two positive dogs do receive their full course as prescribed. Thorough tick prevention is vital in areas with tick borne disease and minimises the risk of any diseases being transmitted to your pets. Seresto collars (8months protection), bravecto tablets (3months protection) or simparica tablets (4-5weeks protection) would be recommended but your vets office can advise on other effective options and frequency of application in your area

No, if you got the tick off within a day they generally don’t get sick from ticks. If there is any question you can get a tick infection test done at your veterinary clinic. I recommend starting a veterinary oral tick and flea prevention product when he’s old enough, like Bravecto or Nexgard so he doesn’t get more ticks. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Boa.