Tick found on dog on Anchorage Hillside

Observation by Joy Britt

I recently pulled off a tick on the nose of my 15 year old dog. It alarmed me, as I have never seen a tick in Alaska (though I know they exist) or heard of any of my friend's pets having ticks. Neither my family nor my neighbors have been out of Anchorage traveling. I will be submitting the tick to the Alaska Submit a Tick program for identification.

Comments from LEO Editors:

This is only the second observation published in LEO Network about ticks on dogs in Alaska, although we have had several reports of ticks on wildlife, such as squirrels, rabbits, and birds. Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has partnered with Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in an effort to test ticks that residents find. Testing will identify tick species that are new to Alaska, as well as disease they may carry.

It is important to carefully look for ticks that you or your pet may have picked up while outside. The Center for Disease Control has several resources available for those interested in learning more about ticks, including how to check pets for tick bites. If you or your pets have been bitten by a tick, you should keep an eye out for any symptoms and if you notice any, tell your doctor or veterinarian. Found ticks can be submitted to ADF&G by following the steps below. Remember, getting a good picture and sample of a whole tick is important for proper identification. You can post the picture on LEO Network along with the location and story.  Another tip, Apple and Android phones have a magnifying glass feature, which can be turned on in settings. This provides a nice way to get good photos of very small things like insects and arachnoids (spiders and ticks). Guidance on how to set this up on your phone, and some tick identification resources are attached. Mike Brubaker

Micah Hahn, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at UAA, writes:

Thanks for the post and letting us know about this tick! We're right in the middle of a study tracking the emergence of new tick species in Alaska, so the best thing you can do is to fill out the "Submit-A-Tick" form and submit your tick to the Office of the State Vet. It is particularly important to include a location where you think your dog got the tick and information about whether or not you or your dog traveled within Alaska or outside of the state in the past 2 weeks. There is a space to include this information on the form.

Ticks submitted by the public will be identified by species. For more information, see the Submit-A-Tick webpage and outreach materials.

If you are interested in submitting a tick that you have found, follow the steps below:

1. Carefully remove the tick if it is attached and feeding.

2. Put the tick into a clean, small plastic or metal container (e.g. vial or small pill bottle). Multiple ticks from the same person or animal may be placed into one container. If ticks are collected from more than one person or animal, please use separate containers.

3. Place the container into a Ziploc bag.

4. Print and complete an Alaska "Submit-A-Tick" form (see attached documents). If ticks are collected from more than one person or animal, a >separate submission form should be completed for each person or animal and placed in a separate Ziploc bag with the >appropriate container of ticks.

5. Place the sealed Ziploc bag(s) with ticks and submission form(s) in an envelope or small box and ship to: 

Office of the State Veterinarian 5251 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Anchorage, AK 99507

See also: article by Riley Woodford: Submit a Tick

Comment by Kendra Zamzow:

I found a tick on my dog in August 2018. We are in Chickaloon, and I had not been traveling. I submitted it to the state tick ID program and they identified it as an American Dog Tick, which they said is now endemic in the state. The photo I took of it looks a lot like the photo you took.10-25-21