Dog ripped off a tick after 8 months. What are the health risks?

Question

We just found a tick on my dog. We thought it was just a bump. It's probably been there for about 8 months. He ripped it off today what should we do!?? Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 5 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Wow, that was an extraordinarily long stay on your dog. It's not uncommon for them to stay a couple of months, but 8 months is a long time for a tick to feed. I'm assuming that you have positively identified the bump as a tick, so I'll give my thoughts about this. First, don't worry. Ticks are a normal part of life for a dog and usually do not cause much of a problem. They can transmit a few different blood diseases though. There are a few different species of ticks that get on dogs and the potential for transmitting different diseases depends on the type of tick. If King had that tick there for 8 months and has been otherwise healthy, then the chance of him getting one of those diseases is rather low at this time. However, if he has been abnormally sleepy, sluggish or has been more prone to infections, then it would be good to get him checked out by a vet. We can easily test for the most common diseases spread by ticks and can also help advise on treatment and prevention plans for the future, so it's not a bad idea to go in for a regular vet consult.

Dog ripped off a tick after 8 months. What are the health risks?

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