Most visitors never meet most of this. Florida is a big state and its wildlife changes a lot from region to region - a cane toad is a South Florida backyard problem, a black bear is a central and north Florida one, and a crocodile only matters in the far south. These guides are here for the encounter you do have, not because one is likely.
Florida has ticks all year, and they carry diseases that make dogs genuinely sick – so a dog traveling here should be on a vet-recommended tick preventive before the trip, and should get a quick tick check after every walk in grass or woods. The risk is not the same everywhere: north Florida is noticeably worse than the south, and wooded trails and overgrown edges are worse than a mowed lawn or open beach.
Where ticks are worst in Florida, and when
Researchers at the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute put it plainly: Florida’s mild, moist climate keeps ticks active year-round, with different species peaking at different times. Lone star ticks and American dog ticks are more common in spring and summer, while blacklegged ticks tend to show up in the cooler months.
Geography matters too. According to the same UF researchers, ticks are a bigger problem north of I-4 and less common in central and south Florida, and confirmed Lyme disease cases are concentrated in north Florida, where the blacklegged tick prefers to live. That does not make Miami tick-free – the brown dog tick is found throughout the state – but a camping trip in the Panhandle or the woods around Gainesville deserves more attention than a condo week in the Keys.
Within any region, ticks wait on vegetation for a host to brush past. Forest edges, overgrown fields, tall grass, brush, leaf litter and the unmowed edges of parks and rural yards are the hot spots. Open beach is generally low risk, with one exception UF researchers call out: the tall grass on sand dunes.
The Florida ticks that matter for dogs
Five species do most of the damage here. The UF/IFAS overview of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma in Florida lists them and what they carry:
- Brown dog tick. Present throughout Florida and the most widespread tick in the world. It carries the bacterium behind canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and also transmits canine babesiosis.
- Lone star tick. The most common human-biting tick in Florida, easy to spot by the single white dot on the adult female’s back. It carries two Ehrlichia species that infect dogs, including the one UF/IFAS calls the most common cause of canine ehrlichiosis in the central and southeastern United States.
- Blacklegged or deer tick. Best known for Lyme disease, it also carries the bacterium that causes anaplasmosis in dogs. Mostly a north Florida, cooler-month problem.
- American dog tick. An outdoor tick usually found on dogs but willing to bite people and other mammals.
- Gulf Coast tick. Also present in Florida.
These are not rare diseases in Florida dogs. UF/IFAS reports that in 2018 there were 4,899 positive canine ehrlichiosis cases and 1,410 anaplasmosis cases statewide. The Florida Department of Health lists ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other spotted fever illnesses as the most common tick-borne diseases in the state for people, which is a good reminder that ticks on the dog can end up on you.
Prevention before you go
Put your dog on a tick preventive your veterinarian recommends before you arrive, not after you find the first tick. The options include oral medications, topical spot-ons, sprays and collars, and the right one depends on the dog’s age, size, health and breed – UF/IFAS notes that some breeds are sensitive to certain tick-killing ingredients, and severe illness can result.
Cats need cat products. Never use a dog tick product on a cat unless it is specifically labeled and approved by your vet for cats. The ASPCA warns that permethrin, an ingredient in many dog products, can cause severe tremors and seizures in cats, and that a reaction to a dog flea product can take up to 48 hours to appear. If a cat gets a dog product, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 (a fee may apply) and wash it off only as they instruct.
The after-walk tick check
The CDC recommends checking pets daily and after time outdoors. Run your hands slowly over the dog and look closely at the places ticks like to hide: in and around the ears, around the eyelids, under the collar, under the front legs, between the toes, between the back legs and around the tail. Long-haired dogs need a comb-through with your fingers down to the skin.
If you find one attached, remove it promptly. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool, grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can, and pull straight back with steady pressure, without twisting, so the mouthparts do not break off. Do not burn it, smother it with petroleum jelly or crush it with bare fingers. Clean the spot and wash your hands. The Florida Department of Health notes that removing an attached tick within 24 hours can greatly reduce the chance of infection, which is exactly why the daily check matters.
To have the tick identified later if the dog gets sick, seal it in a bag with the date and place.
Brown dog ticks can move in with you
Most ticks live outside. The brown dog tick is different. UF/IFAS says it can complete its entire life cycle indoors, in homes and kennels, and in Florida it can reproduce year-round inside. An infestation usually starts with a few ticks carried in on a dog and builds quickly, since one generation takes just over two months. Owners often notice ticks crawling on furniture, baseboards, carpet and dog bedding.
If you see ticks indoors at home or in a rental, wash the dog’s bedding in hot water, vacuum, check the dog thoroughly and call your vet about treatment. Severe infestations may need a professional pest control company.
When to call the vet
The CDC notes that signs of tick-borne disease may not appear for 7 to 21 days or longer after a bite, so the trip can be over before anything shows. Call your veterinarian if your dog develops fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, lameness or swollen joints, weight loss, pale gums or unusual bleeding or bruising in the weeks after tick exposure, and tell them where you traveled. A dog that is collapsing, bleeding or having trouble breathing needs an emergency vet now.
Packing list for tick country
- Your dog’s current tick preventive, plus enough to cover the trip.
- Fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool, and a few small zip bags.
- Repellent and light-colored clothing for yourself, and a plan to check your own legs and waistband after hikes.
At campgrounds and wooded rentals, keep the dog on the trail, avoid tall brush and overgrown yard edges, and keep bedding clean. For more planning, see our guides to pet-friendly campgrounds in Florida, the Florida road trip packing list for dogs, Florida mosquitoes and pets and the complete guide to Florida wildlife with pets.
