How to make sure I found all the ticks on my dog
Finding every tick in a dog's coat is difficult because they easily blend in with fur, skin folds, and debris like weed seeds. This makes it hard to catch them before they attach and feed, leaving owners constantly worried about missing one and risking their pet's health.
Overview
People affected2 accounts across 2 forums
Workarounds found9 items attempted
Community agreement11 total upvotes
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
9 items+ Contribute
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Brushing the dog with a wire brush followed by a fine tooth flea combDid this help you?
- 2Using chemical flea and tick collars, topical liquids, sprays, pills, or medicated treatsDid this help you?
- 3Avoiding tick-infested areas by walking in vegetation-free or cemented areasDid this help you?
- 4Using battery-powered hand-held insect zappersDid this help you?
- 5Shaving the dog's hair to expose the skinDid this help you?
- 6Spreading tick granules in the yardDid this help you?
- 7Spraying alcohol on the affected area and washing handsDid this help you?
- 8Bathing the dog with flea and tick shampooDid this help you?
- 9Monitoring the dog over the next couple of weeks for symptomsDid this help you?
Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
Pets Stack Exchange1 person · April 2026