There are over 200 species of ticks found worldwide. The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) is the common tick that is found. The presence of ticks is extremely annoying to both pets and their owners. Ticks are not insects but arachnids, like mites, spiders and scorpions. The tick has harpoon like barbs at its mouth to sink into the host's skin for feeding. This can cause severe pain and itch for the affected dog. It has crab like legs (adult ticks has 4 pair of legs) and produces sticky secretion that help to hold itself to the host.

The adult female tick can lay up to 1500-3000 eggs after feeding on a dog's blood. She will lay eggs in the cracks and crevices of your walls, ceilings or furniture. Sometimes you will even see the pregnant female ticks crawling up the wall, making her way to lay her eggs. The eggs will hatch in half to 2 months. The baby ticks (sometimes called seed tick) have 6 legs. The larvae are usually so small that you cannot spot it with your naked eye, unless a cluster of them stuck on the dog's skin. After feeding, the seed tick will fall from its host and hides for 1-2 weeks before molting to an eight legged nymph. The nymph will feed another blood meal, drop off and molt into an adult in 10-30 days. An adult tick will hide between blood meals and will usually stay in between curtains, window frames, bookshelves, ceiling crevices and even under the edges of floor mats.

Tick infection will cause mild to severe skin irritation and fur loss. As the dog scratches itself, secondary bacterial dermatitis may lead to pimples, skin scabs and intense redness to the skin. Ticks love to lodge themselves in the dark skin folds like in between the toes, behind the ears and even in the ear canals.

Ticks may carry infectious organisms that can transmit diseases to the host as they bite and suck blood. Thankfully, the brown dog tick does not carry any danger to humans.
The following are some diseases that the brown dog tick can cause :

• Canine Babesiosis
  Blood borne parasites (Babesiosis canis or Babesiosis gibsoni) are being injected into the dogĄ¯s blood stream as the tick sucks for its blood meal. This will cause anemia, lethargy, appetite loss and weight loss. Some dogs may also have vomiting and diarrhea, with severe abdominal pain. The spleen of the dog can also be swollen. Some may have high fever (sometimes called tick fever)
• Canine Errlichiosis
  Also transmitted via blood borne parasites. Affected dogs will sufer from nose bleeds, anemia and high fever
• Lyme Disease
  Not common as the carrier tick is usually the deer tick. This will cause lameless, joint swellings and pain. The dog may also have fever, loss of appetite and weakness.
• Tick paralysis
  Mainly transmitted by the American dog tick, lone star tick or the black legged tick. Tick paralysis can be fatal. Affected dogs will have gradual ascending paralysis. Both hind legs will be wobbly and as the disease progresses, it can lead to front leg paralysis and eventual respiratory failure.

Although the brown dog tick will not lead to any infectious diseases to human, it is still a nuisance to find them crawling around the house. Be prepared to check your home thoroughly once you spot the first sign of tick infection on your pet. Vacuuming dark corners (under bed and cupboards) and throwing out clutter can minimize tick infestation in the home environment. But remember that seed ticks can be extremely difficult to locate with our naked eyes, hence it is always best to start prevention on your pet.

Use a monthly tick prevention spray or dip. Anti lick and flea collars, powder and shampoos are also easily available from pet shops. If you suspect that your dog is bringing ticks home from walks at the park, then perhaps you will have to assess its walking routine and habits. It may be wise to keep your dog indoors during the wetter months of the year.

If you find ticks on your dog's body, it is important NOT to use your fingers to pull the tick away. If the mouth part is left in the skin, it may cause a local infection. But a pair of tweezers and grasp the mouth close to skin and pull straight out with firm pressure. Do not panic if you see a small piece of skin/flesh on the mouthparts after the tick is removed. Clean the skin area with some warm saline or diluted iodine. Regular grooming to keep your dog's fur coat short can allow you to check better through the whole body for ticks.