15/08/2026
🕷️ WHY ARE TICKS DANGEROUS—EVEN IF THERE ARE ONLY A FEW?
At David Shepherd Veterinary Services, we have diagnosed many dogs with tick-borne diseases even when there are no longer visible ticks on their bodies.
Sometimes, the owner remembers seeing only one or a few ticks—yet the dog later develops diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, or Babesiosis.
To be clear: dogs do not get human dengue in the same way people do. Dengue is a viral disease primarily associated with mosquitoes and is different from the tick-borne diseases we see in dogs.
We use dengue only as an analogy to help explain how disease transmission works:
A mosquito can bite a person and then disappear, but the infection it transmitted can remain and develop inside the body.
Similarly, a tick may bite your dog, feed, and eventually fall off or be removed—but the disease-causing organism it transmitted may already be inside your dog.
🐶 Dogs can develop their own serious tick-borne diseases, including:
🔴 Ehrlichiosis
🔴 Anaplasmosis
🔴 Babesiosis
These infections can affect the blood, immune system, and organs and, in severe cases, can become life-threatening.
⚠️ THAT'S WHY "NO MORE TICKS" DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN "NO MORE RISK."
Your dog may have:
✅ No visible ticks today
✅ Had only one or a few ticks in the past
❌ But still develop a tick-borne infection
Ticks can also hide in difficult-to-see areas such as around the ears, between the toes, under collars, and in the groin.
One infected tick can potentially be enough.
Don't wait until your dog is covered in ticks before taking prevention seriously.
🛡️ Tick prevention is disease prevention.
If your dog has a history of tick exposure and develops weakness, poor appetite, fever, pale gums, weight loss, unusual bleeding, or other concerning signs, consult your veterinarian.
At David Shepherd Veterinary Services, we don't just treat the ticks we see—we help protect your pets from the diseases they may carry. 🐾❤️