You can, however, mitigate the risk of tick bites and tick-borne diseases. She said there are topical products, monthly oral chew options, and injectable medications that can last for several months to mitigate the risk of tick bites and tick-borne disease. Both can carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia, which can be transmitted to dogs through tick bites. “There is also a risk of dogs developing tick paralysis from these ticks,” Stenkamp-Strahm said. “However, just because a tick can cause tick paralysis does not mean every dog bitten by one will develop the condition.