# How do I protect my children and pets from tick bites?

Canonical page: https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites
Language: en
Category: prevention
Publisher: ClinicsJo
Published: 2026-09-13T17:52:51.045Z
Content updated: 2026-09-13T17:52:51.045Z
Translation (ar): https://clinicsjo.com/ar/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites

To protect your children and pets from tick bites, you should avoid areas where ticks are common, such as forests, grassy areas, and brush, especially during warmer months. Use insect repellent on your children's exposed skin and treat their clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. For pets, use tick prevention products after consulting with a veterinarian, and check them daily to remove any attached ticks.

## Avoid Tick-Infested Areas

Ticks are commonly found in wooded areas, tall grasses, and leaf litter. To avoid tick bites, it is best for your children and pets to stay away from these areas as much as possible, especially during the warmer months when ticks are most active. Ticks can attach to clothing or skin while walking in these areas [\[1\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S1>).

## Using Repellents and Protective Clothing for Children

When children spend time outdoors, several preventative steps can be taken. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent containing ingredients such as DEET or picaridin on exposed skin [\[1\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S1>). Children should wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks, preferably with long sleeves and long pants. Pants legs can be tucked into socks or boots, and shirts tucked into pants to provide extra protection [\[2\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S2>). Clothing and gear can also be treated with 0.5% permethrin, noting that these products are highly toxic to cats [\[2\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S2>).

## Checking Body and Clothing After Outdoor Activities

After spending time outdoors, it is essential to thoroughly check children and pets for ticks. Inspect clothing and remove any ticks, then wash and dry the items at high temperatures [\[1\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S1>). For children, focus on areas such as the groin, armpits, scalp, and other hard-to-see areas [\[2\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S2>). If you find a tick attached to the skin, remove it as soon as possible using fine-tipped tweezers, grasping the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible and pulling with steady, even pressure without twisting or jerking [\[1\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S1>). After removal, clean the bite area and your hands thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or soap and water [\[1\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S1>).

## Protecting Pets from Ticks

Dogs can contract Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, and these ticks can be transmitted to humans [\[2\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S2>). To protect your pets, talk to your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products, which may include topical treatments, oral medications, or collars [\[2\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S2>). Dogs should be checked daily for ticks, especially after spending time outdoors, focusing on areas such as the collar area, around the eyelids, ears, and tail, under the front legs, and between the back legs and toes [\[2\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S2>). Although cats are less likely to contract Lyme disease, the same precautions apply, especially if they go outdoors, as ticks on cats can crawl onto humans and transmit other diseases [\[2\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S2>).

## When to See a Doctor

If your child or pet develops any symptoms such as fever, chills, body aches, or a rash within several weeks of a tick bite, you should contact a healthcare provider or veterinarian immediately [\[1\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S1>). These symptoms can be signs of tick-borne diseases [\[3\]](<https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#source-S3>). For more information on tick bites and tick-borne diseases, you can visit [Tick Bites and Tick-Borne Diseases: Prevention, Symptoms, and Treatment (Arabic)](<https://clinicsjo.com/ar/articles/tick-bites-prevention-symptoms-treatment-jo>).

## Medical references

- [Tick Bites](<https://medlineplus.gov/tickbites.html>)

- [Ticks and Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention](<https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/ticks-and-lyme-disease-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention>)

- [About Ticks and Tickborne Disease](<https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/about/>)

General health education; not a substitute for individualized clinical assessment.

Citation URL: https://clinicsjo.com/en/faq/how-to-protect-children-and-pets-from-tick-bites#answer