How to check your dog or cat for ticks — with your smartphone

TickSpot Guide · Updated July 2026

In short: On dogs and cats, ticks prefer spots where the coat is thin and the skin is soft: head, ears, neck, armpits, belly, and the insides of the legs. A quick check after every walk finds most ticks before they attach — and with the camera it's easier than feeling through the fur with your fingers alone.

The hotspots on dogs and cats

• Head and muzzle — especially around the eyes and lips
• Ears — on the outside, at the base, and inside the outer ear
• Neck and chest — check under the collar
• Armpits and groin — warm and sheltered, a tick favorite
• Belly and between the toes

How to do the coat check

1. Feel first, then look: Run your hand against the direction of the fur with light pressure. Small bumps that feel like a crumb are candidates.
2. Part the fur, point the camera: Part the coat with one hand and hold the TickSpot camera to the exposed skin with the other. In the inverted view, a dark tick stands out brightly against skin and fur — especially helpful with dark or dense coats, where the eye gets almost no contrast.
3. Light on for dark coats: The light built right into the app boosts the contrast further.
4. Freeze for fidgety pets: Freeze the image and assess it calmly instead of chasing your pet around with the camera.

Found a tick?

Remove it with a tick remover, tick card, or fine-tipped tweezers: grip close to the skin, pull out slowly and straight, don't squeeze, and don't put anything on it. Keep an eye on the bite site over the following days. Important for cat owners: some tick treatments for dogs (such as those containing permethrin) are toxic to cats — only ever use preventive products after consulting your vet.

Note: This article does not replace veterinary advice. If a tick can't be removed, if the site becomes inflamed, or if your pet's behavior changes, seek veterinary advice.