How do veterinarians find ticks on dogs?

We find ticks on dogs just the same way you guys do. Many times, we're looking for the tick themselves. We'll just run our hands over their bodies, see if we can feel anything. Owners will often think they’re tiny nodules or masses or things like that, and once we get a closer look, sometimes we realize they're a tick.

Veterinarians find ticks on dogs similarly to how pet parents do. They move the dog's hair coat aside, feel along the hair coat, and check for any lumps or bumps. However, finding smaller ticks, such as nymphs, can be more challenging since they are about the size of a poppy seed and often go unrecognized. Ticks are parasites that jump on, get a blood meal, and then fall off, making them difficult to find at times.