How to find ticks on dogs — step by step with your phone camera

TickSpot Guide · Updated July 2026

In short: After every walk through meadows, woods, or tall grass, a quick tick check on your dog is worth it. With TickSpot it works like this: part the fur with one hand, hold the camera over it with the other — in the inverted view, a dark tick lights up as a bright dot between skin and fur. The whole pass takes two to three minutes.

How the check works with TickSpot

1. Open TickSpot — the inverted camera view starts right away, no sign-up.
2. Have your dog sit or lie down, ideally as a fixed routine after the walk (many dogs quickly come to know it as cuddle time).
3. With one hand, part the fur against the grain so a strip of skin becomes visible. With the other hand, hold the camera 10–15 centimeters (4–6 inches) above it.
4. For dark or dense fur, switch on the light right in the app — that's exactly what it's there for.
5. Work your way along, strip by strip. A tick appears as a bright, clearly distinct dot that's easy to miss in the normal image.
6. Something suspicious? Freeze the image, zoom in, and check it calmly — your dog is free to move in the meantime.

Check these spots first

• Head, muzzle, and around the eyes
• Ears — outside, at the base, and inside the ear flap
• Neck and under the collar
• Armpits, groin, and belly — thin fur, soft skin
• Between the toes

Why the camera finds more than your fingers

By touch alone, you only find ticks once they've already attached and swollen up. The inverted view also reveals freshly picked-up, still-flat ticks wandering through the fur — you simply remove those before they even bite. How to properly remove an attached tick is covered in "Tick bite — what to do now"; for general information on tick hotspots on pets, see the overview article for dogs and cats.

Note: This article does not replace veterinary advice. If you notice inflammation, stuck tick remnants, or changes in your dog's behavior, seek veterinary advice.