Deer Tick Bite

deer tick bite





The deer tick bite can be very serious as the parasite can carry the lyme disease that can leave the nasty bullseye red bumpy rash often but not always associated with lyme disease, look at the pictures above. 

Consequently, it is very important that you learn about deer tick identification and removal so that you can remove the parasite as soon as you see it so that you, your dog or pets can get immediate medical advice.

We have provided some tips on the best way to remove ticks from dogs and advice on the deer tick's habitat, life cycle and diseases that the parasite can carry.

Deer Tick Bites & Disease


It is now known that the dreaded deer tick now also known as the black legged tick can carry up to three diseases and not just lyme disease.

Deer ticks can also carry human anaplasmosis (also known as human granulocytic ehrlichiosis,) and babesiosis - look at the photo below of a deer tick bite that has developed a nasty ehrlichiosis infection.

Human Anaplasmosis Symptoms

Symptoms of human anaplasmosis (human granulocytic ehrlichiosis) can take from 1-3 weeks to appear and symptoms can be very dangerous for the elderly.

  • A high fever of more than 100 degrees
  • Extreme muscle aches
  • Chills
  • Extreme headache

Babesiosis Symptoms

The deer tick carries a nasty little malaria like parasite that is known as babesiois and will leave you with the following symptoms should you be unlucky enough to get bitten. These tick bite symptoms can take 1-6 weeks to show.
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle aches
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • High fever
  • Loss of appetite
Lyme Disease Symptoms

This is one of the most widely recognized disease carried by deer ticks and is well known for leaving a nasty red bumpy bullseye tick bite rash around the infected area.

However, it is very important for you to know that in many cases a bullseye rash does not even appear, although symptoms of lyme disease are still present.

Another misconception is that the bullseye rash always appears where you were bitten - not so - the bullseye tick bite rash can appear anywhere and in more than one place at a time.

Some people are also have the belief that lyme disease and the bullseye red bumpy rash should always be the size of a silver dollar or a quarter - again this is untrue and the rash can vary in not only it's appearance but also in it's size.

These are some of the symptoms of lyme disease but there are many more symptoms that you should be aware of, unfortunately we just don't have enough room on this page - but here are a few to start with...
  • Hair loss
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Sore throat
  • Stiff neck
  • Jaw pain
  • Blurry vision
  • Pain in ears
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Chest pain and shortness of breath
  • Poor balance
  • Dizziness
  • Depression
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
Of course you should visit your Doctor asap if you develop and symptoms that you are concerned about as capturing lyme disease in it's early stages is crucial.

The symptoms of lyme disease can come and go over a period of weeks, months and even years.

Deer Tick Bites & Disease

deer tick bite


The above deer tick bite has the classic red bumpy rash but it has also developed a nasty ehrlichiosis infection.

Deer Tick Life Cycle

The deer tick life cycle consists of four stages:
  • Egg
  • Larva or seed
  • Nymph
  • Adult
Did you know that almost 70% of lyme disease cases are due to the little parasite during it's nymph stage. If you are after lots of pictures, then take a look at our page on deer tick identification for some great snaps.

Removing Deer Ticks

The best way to remove ticks is to use a pair of tweezers or a tick twister (a really handy little tool.) Start by grabbing the parasite as close to the skin as possible without crushing their abdomen. Make sure that you have the head and legs and gently pull upwards.

Do not smear the parasite with Vaseline or petroleum jelly as this can encourage the parasite to regurgitate it's last meal causing any possible infection to pass straight into the blood stream. It is also important that you don't crush their abdomen for the same reason.

For advice on removing the parasite from your dog or other pets take a look at our section on removing ticks from dogs and for more specialized guidance on removing deer ticks take a look at our section on deer tick removal.

We would like to say thanks to jim wilson from www.canlyme.com for the use of the picture and also John moran for his excellent photo and website.




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