Wintertime grooming: take extra care

Traditionally, during the colder winter months, most ticks would become inactive and the risk of your pet picking one up would be low. However, because of climate change, we are now experiencing milder weather and ticks are remaining active. Winter is no longer a tick-free season and it is important that you still check your pet regularly for ticks.

Checking your pet for ticks in the winter comes with its very own set of challenges Firstly, our dogs seem to have the ability to cover themselves in mud and dive bomb every puddle! Ticks can easily remain hidden beneath wet and muddy fur, so make sure that your pet is as mud-free as possible before carrying out your tick check. Secondly, those hot carefree days of summer are long gone and your tidy clipped dog will more likely resemble a woolly mammoth in the winter! All this extra fur can be quite a handful - keeping your pet's coat well-groomed and matt free will make it easier for you to spot any unwanted invaders. Try brushing the fur in both directions and part the undercoat to thoroughly check.

Here are some of the areas on your pet where ticks love to hide:

Hairless and sparsely haired areas - ticks feed on your pet's blood and are attracted to areas where they can easily access the skin, for example, the groin, under the ‘armpits’ and the tummy.

Around the head - ticks can quickly latch on while your pet is rooting around in the undergrowth.

Ears - check both inside the entrance to your pet's ears and also behind the ears.

Between the toes - these are easily accessible to any ticks lurking underfoot.

Around their bottom - this area is again sparsely haired and easily accessible, just one quick wag of the tail can be the only invitation they need!