01
Lyme disease
The one everyone has heard of. In dogs it can show up as lameness that moves from leg to leg, fever and lethargy — or not at all, which is why vets test for it rather than wait for symptoms.
Guide
Ticks and your dog in the Capital Region.
Almost every dog that comes to us gets a blood test that screens for tick-borne disease, and new adopters sometimes ask why. The short answer is that Saratoga County is tick country, and the season is longer than most people think.
What they carry
One tick, three diseases.
The blacklegged tick — the deer tick — is the one that matters here. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County lists three diseases it carries.
02
Anaplasmosis
The Companion Animal Parasite Council reports that in some Northeastern practices more dogs now test positive for anaplasmosis than for Lyme. Same tick, same prevention.
03
Babesiosis
A parasite of the red blood cells, less common but carried by the same tick. One more reason the answer is prevention rather than treatment.
When
There is no off-season, only cold days.
The New York State Department of Health notes that blacklegged ticks, nymphs and adults alike, are most active whenever the temperature is above freezing. Adults come out in the fall and climb vegetation looking for a host — often a dog. A warm spell in January is enough to wake them up.
That is why most vets in the region recommend tick prevention for dogs every month of the year, not just the summer. Ask yours which product suits your dog.
Found one?
How to take a tick off.
Do
- Use fine-tipped tweezers and grip the tick as close to the skin as you can
- Pull straight out with steady, even pressure
- Clean the bite and your hands afterwards
- Put the tick in a sealed bag or tape it up, in case your vet wants to see it
- Check between toes, in ears, under the collar and around the tail
Don’t
- Twist or jerk it
- Smother it with petroleum jelly or nail polish, or burn it
- Crush it with your fingers
Watch the dog for the next few weeks. Limping, fever, tiredness or loss of appetite after a tick bite is a reason to call your vet, not to wait.
Sources: Cornell Cooperative Extension Saratoga County, deer tick; NYS Department of Health; Companion Animal Parasite Council, 2026 forecasts; CDC, removing a tick. We are a rescue, not a veterinary practice — your vet is the authority on your dog.
Every dog we save is paid for by donations and cared for by volunteers. ABC Animal Rescue Incorporated is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — gifts are tax-deductible.