Important Medical Disclaimer: This article is educational and based on veterinary guidelines. If you suspect your dog has a tick-borne illness or a severe flea infestation, consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. Some conditions require professional diagnosis and treatment.
Every dog owner knows the feeling: you're running your hands through your dog's fur after a walk in the park and your fingers stop on something small and firm. Ticks and fleas are among the most common parasites dogs encounter, and while they're a normal part of life with a dog, they're also genuinely worth taking seriously. Beyond the discomfort they cause, both parasites can transmit diseases that affect your dog's long-term health.
The good news is that prevention is straightforward once you understand what you're dealing with. This guide covers everything from recognising the signs of an infestation to removing a tick safely, understanding where the risks are highest in the Netherlands, and building a prevention routine that actually fits into daily life.
Why Ticks and Fleas Are More Than Just an Annoyance
Fleas are the more immediately visible problem. A single flea can lay up to fifty eggs per day, which means a small infestation can become a significant one within weeks. Beyond the itching, fleas can transmit tapeworms to dogs that ingest them during grooming, and dogs with flea allergies can develop intense skin reactions from even a handful of bites.
Ticks operate differently. They attach themselves to the skin and feed slowly over several days, and it's during this feeding process that disease transmission can occur. In the Netherlands, the most significant tick-borne risk is Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Not every tick carries the bacteria, but the risk increases the longer a tick remains attached, which is why prompt removal matters so much.
Some dogs also react to tick saliva itself, developing localised inflammation or, in rare cases, a temporary condition called tick paralysis. Knowing what to look for and acting quickly makes a real difference to outcomes.
Recognising the Signs
Fleas: What to Look For
Fleas move fast and are difficult to spot directly, but the signs they leave behind are easier to find. Intense scratching, particularly around the base of the tail, the belly, and the neck, is often the first signal. You might also notice your dog biting or chewing at their skin, or small red bumps appearing on less-furry areas.
The clearest confirmation is flea dirt, which are the tiny dark specks that are actually flea droppings. A quick way to check is to comb your dog's fur over a white piece of paper. If the specks you collect turn reddish when dampened, that's flea dirt and confirms an active infestation.
Ticks: Finding and Assessing Them
Ticks prefer warm, sheltered spots on the body. After walks in high-risk areas, check between the toes, around and inside the ears, under the collar, in the groin area, and along the belly. Run your fingers slowly through the fur rather than scanning visually, since ticks can be very small, especially in their early stages.
A tick that has recently attached will be flat and dark. One that has been feeding for a day or more will be swollen and lighter in colour. Both need to be removed, but a swollen tick has had more opportunity for potential disease transmission, so note how long your dog may have been exposed.
If your dog seems lethargic, develops a fever, or shows joint stiffness in the days or weeks after a tick bite, contact your vet. These can be early signs of Lyme disease or another tick-borne condition. Understanding your dog's normal behaviour patterns helps you notice these changes early. Our guide on dog body language explains how to read the subtle signals that something may be off.
Where the Risks Are Highest in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has some of the highest tick activity in Western Europe, driven by a combination of mild, wet climate and large areas of forest and heathland that provide ideal tick habitat. Understanding where the risk concentrates helps you take extra precautions in the right places.
Tick Hotspots
The Veluwe is the most well-known high-risk area, a large forested national park in Gelderland where tick populations are among the densest in the country. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the Sallandse Heuvelrug, and the forests of the Achterhoek and Twente are also significant hotspots. In the north, Drenthe and parts of Groningen and Overijssel see sustained tick activity through the warmer months.
Along the coast, the dune landscapes from the Wadden Islands through Noord-Holland down to Zeeland harbour tick populations too, which surprises many dog owners who associate ticks mainly with forests. Ticks are also present in urban green spaces, city parks, and even well-maintained gardens, particularly where there is tall grass or leaf litter at ground level. No area of the Netherlands is completely free of tick risk, which is why year-round awareness matters rather than seasonal caution alone.
Tick activity in the Netherlands runs roughly from March through October, peaking in late spring and again in early autumn. Fleas, by contrast, are active year-round, surviving through winter in the warm indoor environment of heated homes.
How to Remove a Tick Safely
Finding a tick on your dog is not an emergency, but it does require calm, correct action. The goal is to remove the tick completely without squeezing or twisting the body, which can increase the risk of transferring any infectious material into the bite site.
Use a tick removal tool rather than tweezers if possible, since these are designed to grip the tick close to the skin without compressing the body. Place the tool as close to the skin as you can, then pull upward with slow, steady pressure. Do not twist, do not burn the tick, and do not apply petroleum jelly or nail polish, as these folk remedies can cause the tick to regurgitate into the wound.
Once removed, clean the bite area with antiseptic and dispose of the tick by placing it in a sealed container or flushing it. Note the date of removal and keep an eye on the bite site and your dog's general health for the following few weeks. A small amount of redness around the bite immediately after removal is normal. A spreading rash, persistent swelling, or signs of illness in the days or weeks that follow are not, and warrant a vet call.
Building a Prevention Routine That Works
Veterinary Prevention Products
Veterinary-grade prevention is the most reliable approach available. Spot-on treatments are applied monthly to the skin between the shoulder blades and work by spreading through the natural oils of the skin to repel or kill ticks and fleas on contact. Oral medications offer a different mechanism, working systemically so that parasites are killed when they bite. Protective collars impregnated with active ingredients can provide several months of continuous protection.
Each approach has its advantages and the right choice depends on your dog's lifestyle, health history, and how easy each method is to maintain consistently. Your vet is the best person to advise on which product suits your dog, particularly if your dog swims frequently, has skin sensitivities, or lives with young children who may handle them regularly.
Natural Approaches: Realistic Expectations
Some owners prefer to explore natural options, and it's worth being honest about what these can and cannot do. Certain essential oils, particularly citronella and eucalyptus, have shown some repellent properties in research settings, but their effectiveness in real-world conditions is inconsistent and they require very frequent reapplication to maintain any effect. Some essential oils are also toxic to dogs at certain concentrations, so any natural product intended for use on dogs should be checked carefully before use.
Diatomaceous earth can help manage fleas in the home environment as a supplementary measure, and regular vacuuming and hot-wash laundering of bedding removes flea eggs and larvae from the living space effectively. These environmental measures work well alongside veterinary prevention, but are unlikely to provide adequate protection on their own for a dog that spends regular time outdoors.
Grooming as a First Line of Defence
A consistent grooming routine is one of the most practical things you can do. Running your hands through your dog's coat after every walk, focusing on the warm sheltered spots where ticks prefer to attach, means you catch most ticks before they have had the chance to feed for long. A dedicated comb used weekly adds another layer of detection, catching fleas or flea dirt that might otherwise go unnoticed until an infestation is established. The Forester Lunar Pet Comb is well suited to this, with a dual-sided design that handles both fine and coarse fur and an ergonomic wooden handle that makes thorough checks comfortable to do properly.
Regular brushing also keeps the coat in good condition, which makes both grooming checks and tick removal easier. For dogs who spend a lot of time in high-risk areas, combining daily checks with appropriate veterinary prevention gives you the strongest possible coverage. Thinking about parasite prevention as part of a broader approach to your dog's health, alongside deworming and routine vet visits, keeps the whole picture in view. Our guide on dog deworming covers how preventive care fits together across different life stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly does a tick need to be removed to prevent Lyme disease? Removing a tick within 24 hours significantly reduces the risk of Borrelia transmission, though it does not eliminate it entirely. The sooner you remove it, the better.
Can my dog get fleas even if they don't go outside? Yes. Fleas can enter the home on clothing, shoes, or other animals. Indoor dogs are at lower risk but not zero risk, particularly if other pets or visitors bring them in.
How do I know if a flea treatment is working? Within a few days of treatment you should see a reduction in scratching. A full flea life cycle can take weeks to complete, so some adult fleas may appear for a short time even after treatment. Consistent treatment breaks the cycle.
Are ticks dangerous for humans too? Yes. Ticks in the Netherlands can transmit Lyme disease to humans as well as dogs. Check yourself and your family after walks in high-risk areas, particularly during peak tick season from spring to autumn.
Can I use the same flea treatment for my dog and cat? No. Some ingredients safe for dogs are toxic to cats, particularly permethrin. Always use species-specific products and consult your vet if you have multiple pets.
What should I do if I can't remove the entire tick? If the head or mouthparts remain embedded, clean the area and monitor it. In most cases the skin will expel the remaining fragment naturally, but if you see signs of infection or inflammation contact your vet.
Prevention is ultimately about consistency. A dog that is checked regularly, treated appropriately, and lives in a well-maintained environment is far less likely to experience a serious parasitic problem. The time invested in building that routine is minimal compared to the peace of mind it brings on every walk, in every season.
Bronnen:
American Veterinary Medical Association. (n.d.). External parasites. Retrieved from https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/external-parasites
RIVM. (n.d.). Tekenbeten voorkomen. Retrieved from https://www.rivm.nl/teken/tekenbeet-voorkomen
Merck Veterinary Manual. (n.d.). Lyme disease in dogs. Retrieved from https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/disorders-affecting-multiple-body-systems-of-dogs/lyme-disease-in-dogs
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. (n.d.). Fleas. Retrieved from https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/fleas
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