How to tell if your pet has a tick, scab or skin tag
Just like our human skin, your pet's skin will change from day to day and over time it will age. You may notice differences such as a change in texture, or even lumps or bumps. These may be a harmless skin tag or scab, but sometimes they can also indicate a tick bite, which can spread diseases to your pet.
In this short guide, we show you how to tell if your dog has a tick, a scab or a skin tag so you can help to keep your pet healthy.
What is a tick?A tick is a grey or brown, small arachnid - yes, they have 8 legs! Their size varies depending on their life stage and how recently they’ve fed; they can start off as small as a pin head and when fully engorged after feeding, their diameter can be around 1cm.
What is a scab?A scab is a protective crust that forms over a cut, scrape, or other wound to help it heal by protecting the wound from bacteria and further bleeding. Dogs can often pick up cuts and scrapes when out exploring their environment.
What is a skin tag?A skin tag is a small, soft, non-cancerous growth that is made of loose collagen fibers and skin, and typically hangs from the skin's surface.
How to tell the difference between a tick, a scab and a skin tag
- How they look against the skin - scabs are usually flat against the skin, but ticks stick out, especially as they grow in size. Skin tags also stick out but can be floppy.
- Colour – Skin tags tend to be the same colour as your pet’s skin, while ticks are often dark brown or grey in colour. They initially appear as small dark brown spots but when they feed, the tick fills with blood and becomes engorged, and could easily be mistaken with a scab. Spotting a tick over a skin tag is quite straight-forward if your pet has light-coloured skin and fur. You may need to take a closer look using a magnifying glass if your dog has dark-coloured skin and fur - particularly to determine if it's a tick or a scab.
- Legs – Ticks are part of the arachnid family, so just like spiders, adult ticks have eight legs which you should be able to see on closer inspection. Obviously there won't be legs on a skin tag or scab!
- Movement – Even an attached tick will move their legs when provoked. Try touching the tick with a gloved finger and watch to see any legs moving. If the tick isn’t yet attached, it may run away from you, so be careful to examine your pet outside your home just in case you lose sight of it.
- Growth – If it gets bigger over a period of a few days, it may be more likely to be a tick rather than a skin tag.
What to do next
If it's a tick
If you find a tick, you’ll want to remove it right away. Ticks aren’t just a nuisance for your pet, they can also pass on serious tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, to both your pet and to you.
A tick removal tool, such as a tick hook, easily and quickly pulls out a tick from your pet’s skin. These tools can prise out the whole tick, including their mouthparts, in one go, unlike tweezers, which can leave bits of the tick in your pet's body.
The most effective way to protect your pet from ticks biting in the first place is to use a tick repellancy product such as Seresto Flea and Tick Control collar. Utilising the natural oils in your pet's skin, Seresto steadily releases the active ingredients across the lipid layer of the skin from head to tail, actively repelling and killing ticks (and killing fleas) through contact, no tick bites required!1 Seresto also offers 7 to 8 months of protection from fleas and ticks in a single application – the longest lasting over the counter protection available.
Tablets are another commonly used method to protect dogs and cats from ticks and can be given either by putting the tablet in with your pet's food or treats, or by gently giving it directly into their mouth. An example of a tablet available for preventative tick control is Advantage Chewable. This a tasty, meat-flavoured chewable tablet for dogs that provides fast-acting, reliable protection, killing fleas in just 4 hours and ticks in 8 hours2. Speak with your vet about preventative tick control for cats.
Tick treatment options
Seresto™ Flea and Tick Control collar for Cats
Suitable for cats and kittens over 10 weeks
Responsible use of medicines in pets
When we use pet health treatments, be they for parasites or for other health issues, it's essential that they are used responsibly. Find out more about the principles of responsible use of medicines in pets.
If it's a skin tag
It’s a good idea to visit your vet to examine any skin lumps on your dog that you are concerned about to rule out anything serious. If your vet confirms it is a skin tag, in most cases they are a minor problem and there is nothing to be worried about. Never try to remove a dog’s skin tag yourself.
If it's a scab
Leave it well alone! While scabs are a natural part of the healing process, they should not be picked, as this can disrupt healing and lead to infection or scarring. However, some scabs can indicate more treatment is needed:
- Allergies – If your dog or cat is allergic to something, this irritation can cause your pet to scratch the itch, inflaming and damaging the skin which can lead to scabbing.
- External parasites – Tick bites can sometimes irritate dogs and cats and your pet might attempt to scratch these nasties off, which can break the skin. Fleas also pose a problem. Some pets are allergic to flea saliva, a condition called Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD), triggered by flea bites. It causes intense itchiness and pets will scratch and bite their skin excessively to relieve the itch, which can cause scabs.
It's best to have your pet checked by your vet if you see your dog or cat is scratching or biting at their skin, breaking or causing scabs.
- Mehlhorn et al. Parasitol Res (2001) 87:198-207, information is regarding mode of action and is not intended to relate to speed of kill or to imply parasites can be completely stopped from biting.
- Advantage Chewable Summary of Product Characteristics.
