Specialists from the Royal Veterinary College in the UK analyzed nearly a million medical records of dogs and identified the breeds most susceptible to tick bites.
The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Journal of Small Animal Practice, reports the Naked Science portal.
Researchers considered parameters such as coat type, skull shape, ear position, weight of the dogs, as well as their age, breed, sex, and other factors.
From 2014 to 2018, scientists analyzed medical records of 905,553 dogs that received treatment at various veterinary clinics in the UK. During the study, 1,903 cases of tick bites were recorded.
The researchers noted that some breeds experienced these cases more frequently than others. As a result, they concluded that poodles and their mixes were at the highest risk of bites. Cairn terriers, goldendoodles, Parson Russell terriers, golden retrievers, and miniature schnauzers also suffered frequently from ticks.
The least susceptible breeds were Staffordshire bull terriers, Rottweilers, Chihuahuas, and English bulldogs.
Furthermore, the study showed that mixed breeds faced this problem 1.81 times more often than purebred dogs. Dogs with V-shaped hanging ears had a 2.2 times higher likelihood of being bitten by ticks, while animals with long fur were 1.24 times more likely to be bitten. Males were also bitten by parasites 1.24 times more often than females.
