• Hi, I just had a question about ticks. Do you always see them if they are embedded in the skin? I was petting my dog Tosca tonight, and noticed a small bump on her back. I parted her fur to look closer, and it was a tiny, like end of a pencil tip tiny, bump , and white, could this be a tick? I am thinking not, since I did not see anything black/brown, but I didn't know if it could be embedded so completely that I wouldn't see it? It doesn't seem to bother her, even with me picking at it she didn't even move. I am guessing its just a pimple or something, is it common for dogs to get those? I figure if its a tick I would see something, but I just wanted to get another opinion, its late so I can't call the vet, as I don't think this qualifies as an emergency 🙂


  • Good evening:
    I think I know what you are talking about. Our girl Metinga, has a hard tiny bump behind her right ear. When I first noticed it about a year or 2 ago, I thought the same thing. When I mentioned it to our vet I think we both agreed it was a mole or wart or something like that. It has never gotten any better or worse- is still the same when I first discovered it. I would probably mention it to your vet in the morning though just to be safe.

    Rhonda, Tangs mom:)


  • I agree. I think it is very unlikely to be a tick. I think it would be impossible for them to bury completely under the skin, because they need to breathe thru their abdomen, once their head is imbedded.

    Could be a few things…a skin tag, or mole, or sebacious cyst.


  • I found that this types of bump was a clogged pore on Caesar (on his front leg). It felt like a tiny bump. Try massaging it or putting a warm wash cloth on it. Caesar had one for 2 months before it finally expressed.


  • There are grey ticks that are called dog ticks that get very large and SOMETIMES look like skin tags. The difference is they have legs that are brown. Look for the legs-other than that should be a skin tag.


  • @nomrbddgs:

    There are grey ticks that are called dog ticks that get very large and SOMETIMES look like skin tags. The difference is they have legs that are brown. Look for the legs-other than that should be a skin tag.

    This is the kind that we have. Dog ticks are about the size of a one of the emoticons😕 before they begin to engorge


  • Thanks for the advice, I think her bump is way too small to be a tick. She still has it tonight but on closer inspection it looks like a small pimple or clogged hair folicle. The only weird thing is you would think it would be tender, but she let me look at it and stuff without even flinching…oh well, either way it doens't look too harmful.


  • @Jylly18:

    Thanks for the advice, I think her bump is way too small to be a tick. She still has it tonight but on closer inspection it looks like a small pimple or clogged hair folicle. The only weird thing is you would think it would be tender, but she let me look at it and stuff without even flinching…oh well, either way it doens't look too harmful.

    Lots of dogs get these….if they are not too hard, sometimes you can express them...but usually they will eventually go away on their own.

Suggested Topics

  • 4
  • 5
  • 10
  • 45
  • 5
  • 8