One quick online visit. If prophylaxis is right for your situation, a single dose of doxycycline can significantly reduce your risk of Lyme disease — adults and kids. No ER, no waiting. Just fast, evidence-based care from tick country's own.
Notify Me When You LaunchMedication typically under $10 at your pharmacy.
After a deer tick bite, Lyme bacteria need time to travel from the tick into your body. A single dose of doxycycline within 72 hours kills them in most cases before they can establish an infection — significantly reducing the chance the disease develops. Wait too long, and prevention is no longer an option.
Quick form — when the bite happened, where on the body, and a photo if you have one.
A licensed nurse practitioner reviews your case against IDSA criteria, usually within an hour. No video call needed.
If prophylaxis is appropriate, doxycycline is sent to your pharmacy. If not, you receive a personalized monitoring plan and clear guidance on what to watch for.
We check in over 30 days to make sure all is well. If concerning symptoms develop, there's a clear path back to us.
Tickortreat is an evaluation service, not a prescription pipeline. Our clinicians apply IDSA criteria for tick-bite prophylaxis. If you fall outside those criteria — for example, more than 72 hours since the bite, or the tick wasn't a deer tick — you'll receive monitoring guidance suited to your situation, and we'll point you toward the right care if you need it. The $75 fee covers the clinical evaluation regardless of outcome.
Calm, no-nonsense, always ready. Toad handles the evaluation — he reviews your case against IDSA criteria, writes the prescription if it's appropriate, and follows up to make sure you're well. He's seen a thousand ticks and none of them scare him.
A fluffy silkie with a big heart and an even bigger brood. Hen adopts everyone — her mismatched army of chicks follows her everywhere as she patrols the yard, teaches tick checks, and shows families how to stay safe. She's the mother who gathers all the kids under her wings.
Add a lab test to find out if the tick was carrying Lyme or other diseases.
Want to know what your tick was carrying? We're partnering with a leading New England lab to offer DNA testing for 7+ pathogens within 3 business days. Mail in the tick, get results by email. Details and pricing coming soon.
Hen and her chicks teach your family about prevention.
How a small flock can dramatically reduce ticks on your land
A step-by-step guide for checking kids after every adventure
Simple changes that make your yard less inviting to ticks
The Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Academy of Neurology, and American College of Rheumatology jointly issued a strong recommendation for single-dose doxycycline within 72 hours of a high-risk Ixodes tick bite — for all age groups, including children. This is the current standard of care.
The AAP supports the use of doxycycline for tick bite prophylaxis and short-course treatment in children of all ages, including those under 8. Earlier concerns about tooth staining have been found to be low-risk for short courses.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 482 subjects in a Lyme-endemic area of New York. Found that a single 200mg dose of doxycycline given within 72 hours of a deer tick bite was 87% effective at preventing erythema migrans (the bullseye rash that signals early Lyme disease). This is the foundational study behind current guidelines.
An open-label randomized controlled trial of 1,689 participants in the Netherlands, testing single-dose doxycycline after European tick bites. Found a 67% risk reduction — consistent with the US findings. Notably, participants reported tick bites through a national online platform, validating the digital-first approach that Tickortreat uses.
A single dose of doxycycline taken within 72 hours of a high-risk Ixodes tick bite can reduce Lyme risk by 87% (Nadelman et al., NEJM 2001). After that window, prophylaxis is no longer recommended — and if Lyme develops, treatment requires a longer course of antibiotics under separate care.
No. Tickortreat evaluates patients against IDSA criteria for tick-bite prophylaxis. If you fall outside those criteria — for example, more than 72 hours since the bite, the tick wasn't a deer tick, or you have a contraindication — your clinician will not prescribe doxycycline. Instead, you'll receive a personalized monitoring plan suited to your situation. The $75 fee covers the clinical evaluation whether or not a prescription is written.
For prophylaxis, yes. When a deer tick bites, Lyme bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) take time to travel from the tick's gut to your bloodstream — typically 24 to 48 hours. A single dose of doxycycline, taken within 72 hours of the bite, kills the bacteria in most cases before infection can establish. This approach was validated in a landmark 2001 New England Journal of Medicine study showing 87% relative risk reduction, and it's the standard of care recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American College of Rheumatology.
Doxycycline is a widely used, well-studied antibiotic that has been prescribed for decades. It's effective against a broad range of bacteria, including the one that causes Lyme disease. Side effects from a single dose are minimal — occasional mild nausea in a small percentage of patients. It's available as a generic at virtually every pharmacy in the country, typically for under $10. The American Academy of Pediatrics confirms it is safe for children of all ages for short courses.
Yes. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports doxycycline for tick bite prophylaxis in children of all ages. Our clinicians use weight-based dosing to ensure the right amount for your child. Doxycycline is available at most pharmacies as tablets or capsules. For young children who can't swallow pills, your pharmacist can help with administration options.
This is a common concern based on outdated guidance. Older tetracycline antibiotics could stain teeth when given in long courses during tooth development, but doxycycline binds to calcium far less than those older drugs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (2024) confirms that doxycycline is safe for children of all ages for short courses with low risk of staining. A single prophylactic dose carries virtually no staining risk.
No. Tickortreat is a prophylaxis service only — we evaluate patients for single-dose doxycycline within the 72-hour window after a tick bite. If you have a bullseye rash (erythema migrans), active symptoms suggesting Lyme infection, or you're outside the 72-hour window with concerns, you need different care than Tickortreat provides. Our clinicians will refer you to the right setting — your primary care provider, urgent care, or in some cases the emergency department.
Tickortreat is $75 flat — no insurance needed. We provide a superbill with proper codes for potential reimbursement. Doxycycline is a cheap generic, typically under $10 at any pharmacy.
It helps but isn't required. Upload a photo if you can — our clinicians can often identify the species. Even without an ID, prophylaxis may be appropriate based on your location and attachment time.
Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut. We're rolling out state by state as our clinicians are credentialed in each. We're expanding to additional states soon.
Yes — if you're currently in one of our active states, we can evaluate you regardless of where you live. Vacationing in Vermont from Texas? Got a tick bite on Martha's Vineyard but you live in California? We can help. Just select the state you're in right now when you start your visit.
Tickortreat is a medical service provided by licensed clinicians, which generally qualifies for HSA and FSA spending. Confirm with your plan administrator.