Ticks are a fact of life for pet owners in Kansas. Whether your dog loves hiking through the Flint Hills, romps through your backyard, or just takes a casual walk around Overland Park, ticks are waiting. What most people don't realize is that the tick you find crawling on your dog isn't just annoying—it might be carrying a serious disease.
The good news? Knowing which ticks are in our area and what they transmit helps you take the right preventive steps. The better news? Preventing ticks is easier and more effective than treating the diseases they carry.
Common Kansas Tick Species
According to the CDC, four main tick species are found in Kansas, and each one poses different risks:
| Tick Species | Identifying Features | Diseases Transmitted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American dog tick (wood tick) | Large, brown | Rocky Mountain spotted fever | Most common tick in Kansas |
| Lone Star tick | Single white dot on back | Ehrlichiosis | Aggressive, attacks in groups, becoming more common |
| Brown dog tick | Small, reddish-brown | Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis | Can live and reproduce entirely indoors |
| Deer tick (blacklegged tick) | Very small, dark | Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis | Less common in Kansas but spreading westward |
Tick Season in Kansas
People often think ticks only exist in spring and summer, but in the Kansas City area, we have tick activity from March through November, with peaks in spring and fall. The warm, mild winters we've been having allow some ticks to survive year-round. This is why year-round tick prevention is recommended rather than seasonal on-and-off approaches.
Checking Your Pet for Ticks
After any walk or outdoor time, run your hands over your dog's body, especially in warm, dark areas where ticks like to hide: behind the ears, in armpits, between the toes, and around the tail base. Feel for small bumps or lumps. Part the fur and look at the skin. Ticks vary in size depending on how long they've been feeding, but an engorged tick is roughly the size of a pea.
Found a tick? Don't panic, and don't use home remedies like petroleum jelly, nail polish, or heat. These don't work and can cause the tick to regurgitate disease-carrying fluids into your pet. Instead, grasp the tick as close to your pet's skin as possible using tweezers or a tick removal tool, and pull straight out in one smooth motion. Place it in alcohol or a sealed bag. Clean the bite area with soap and water or an antiseptic.
Prevention: Your Best Defense
Monthly or quarterly tick prevention products are far more effective than trying to check and remove ticks. We offer several options:
- Topical treatments — Applied monthly to the skin between your pet's shoulder blades. They kill ticks on contact before the tick can transmit disease.
- Oral medications — Monthly or longer-lasting tablets that kill ticks that bite your pet. Very effective and convenient if your pet tolerates oral medication.
- Tick collars — Newer collar options provide several months of protection with a single application.
All of these are prescription products because your vet needs to choose the right product for your pet's age, weight, and health status. Don't rely on over-the-counter products, which are often less effective and sometimes unsafe.
Why Year-Round Prevention?
Because tick season in Kansas now extends much longer than it used to, and because the diseases ticks carry are serious, we recommend year-round prevention. Stopping prevention for even a few weeks can leave your pet unprotected. A single tick bite is all it takes to transmit disease. It's much cheaper and easier to prevent ticks than to treat Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Ehrlichiosis.
The Bottom Line
If you've found a tick on your dog, you've found proof that prevention works or doesn't. Don't take chances. Call us at (913) 469-5869 and let's talk about the best tick prevention plan for your pet. Year-round protection is the smartest choice.