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My dog had a fat tick I thought was a scab. What should I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Silky Terrier | Female | unspayed | 5 years old

Pulled a very fat looking tick from my dogs back fur after several days, thinking it was a scab. What should I do now?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 2nd, 2016

It's very important to make sure you removed the head of the tick, and if you think you didn't, I would take Lady into the vet to get it removed. Clean the area with an antiseptic wash, and keep an eye on the area for signs of infection. If the area becomes red or inflamed, take her into the vet. Also monitor her for signs of fever, anorexia, reluctance to move, swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, I would take her into the vet right away.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Tomasz Wnuk
Veterinarian
You need to monitor the skin where the tick was for the next few days for signs of redness, bruising, pain. If you see any of them, please, take your dog to your local vets right away. Red, inflammed skin around the spot where the tick was suggests presence of tick-born disease and your dog will need a course of antibiotics.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 7th, 2018
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to say for sure what the bite could be from. As long as it is healing and Sky is not showing any other symptoms I would just recommend monitoring her for now. If the area becomes infected, does not resolve or new bites similar to the original begin to show up, then I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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How can I tell if a bump on my dog's head is a tick or a scab?

That looks more like a scab than a tick. Examine the area closely. If it's a tick, you will be able to see 8 tiny legs (4 on each side). If it's a scab, hair will be attached to the lesion. Look online at pictures of attached ticks. If you are still not sure, run Lucy by the vet's office. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Hard bump on dog's neck after tick removal. What should I do?

At this point, there may not be much you can do other than monitor it closely and keep it clean and dry. Protect the lump from scratching or other trauma. Your normal vet may also be able to provide some guidance via telehealth. Make sure to have it checked out as soon as your veterinarian opens again. If the mass starts getting worse, call and see if any emergency clinics are still open. Also, it's likely there are still some normal veterinary clinics that are open and I recommend to call around and look. You need to make arrangements for an appointment ahead of time and follow the assigned protocols. I hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My dog's tick fell off, but is the head still in? What should I do?

I don't like how it has a dark circle in the photo. I recommend to have this examined by the veterinarian. Depending on disease prevalence in your area, the doctor may recommend prophylactic treatment for tick borne disease or may discuss vaccines for Lyme disease. I hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a hard, scaly lump on her chest after tick removal. Normal?

Hello! It's difficult to tell for sure, but what I think I'm seeing in the photo is a nipple towards the upper left aspect of the photo, and an oval yellowish area below - I'm guessing that's where you believe the tick was removed? It is very common for dogs to get a small hard scab where a tick was removed, and as long as that scab is not red, inflamed, and has no discharge, it typically resolves on its own. Dogs do not get the stereotypical "bulls-eye" lesion that we watch for in humans to indicate Lyme disease exposure. However, if the lesion in question is that yellowish oval area, that would not be a normal response to a tick bite, and I would have that checked out by a vet. Your vet will be able to look at the lump and determine how concerned they are, and they will likely want to take a small sample with a needle to look at the cells in the microscope (cytology) to determine what is causing the lump. Additionally, if there is concerned about tick exposure, they can test for exposure to the tickborne diseases such as Lyme disease. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My dog has a red ring or lump after tick removal. Is it serious?

A small amount of localized swelling and redness is a normal inflammatory reaction after tick removal. However, if the swelling and redness persists then you should have your vet take a look at it. You could clean the area with a wound wash and then apply a topical OTC antibiotic cream to the area. Make sure to use a good flea and tick prevention, NexGard, Bravecto, Credelio. Also, talk to your vet about vaccinating for Lyme disease is she isn't vaccinated. Monitor for any abnormal signs and talk your vet about yearly testing for tick borne diseases and heartworms.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Dog's tick bite scab has a hard white mass. Is it normal?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This would not be normal after tick removal especially since it has been three weeks ago. I suspect the head (or some part of the head of the tick) may still be embedded into the deeper tissue. You will need to take Jake to your vet for them to check it and he may need to be sedated so the wound can be explored. You can also speak to your vet about what tick preventative would be best to use going forward to hopefully prevent this from happening again. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Removed a dog tick, saw yellow stuff. What is it and what next?

Great job finding and removing the tick. The yellow material you saw as you squished the tick is likely some of the ticks internal structure/anatomy as well as the digested meal. I would just clean the site on Kona where you removed the tick with warm water and soap and monitor at this point like you said. There may be a small bump or scab or a little redness at the site where the tick attached, and this should resolve in the next 10-14 days. Lyme disease as well as other tick borne disease can cause lethargy, fevers, and joint pain. There are several tick preventative medications you can consider to prevent future ticks. Examples are Nexgard and Simparica (which are monthly oral medications) and collars such as the Preventic collar or Seresto collar.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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