Do Ticks Jump? - PetMD

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Do Ticks Jump Onto Our Pets?

The truth is that ticks can’t jump at all. Unlike fleas, which are able to spring long distances, a tick’s legs aren’t built for jumping even small distances. Ticks are, however, adept climbers and fast walkers.  

Ticks attach to our pets through a technique called questing, in which they stand on pieces of vegetation (like grass) and wave their front legs. When a potential host walks by, they simply grab on as the animal brushes the foliage.   

When a dog touches whatever the tick is perched on, the tick quickly grasps onto the dog and quickly moves through the fur, looking for an area where the skin is exposed. Once they find the spot, the tick bites the skin and, in the process, injects an anticoagulant into the dog to prevent the blood from clotting.  

A tick may remain in the same location on a dog for several days while feeding. Many diseases transmit very quickly after the tick attaches, including: 

  • Lyme disease 

  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever 

  • Anaplasmosis 

  • Ehrlichiosis 

  • Babesiosis 

  • Hepatozoonosis 

Many of these diseases can also affect humans. For the health of you and your dog, it’s important to prevent ticks from attaching in the first place instead of simply relying on removing ticks once they’re found. 

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