Tick Solutions Adds a 10-Minute Diagnostic to Its Retail Empire
Tick Solutions Global launched TiCK TEST, a $34.99 at-home diagnostic that reads a removed tick for Lyme bacteria in 10 minutes. The release frames it as a human-health product, but the company's retail footprint runs through Petco and Tractor Supply, raising the question of when pet-specific testing follows.
TiCK TEST reads the tick, not the blood
The company launched TiCK TEST on Monday, a rapid at-home diagnostic that analyzes a removed tick directly for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium behind Lyme disease, rather than testing blood for an immune response after the fact. Initial testing shows greater than 99% accuracy, with ongoing validation from Dr. Monica Embers at Tulane University and Dr. Tom Mather at the University of Rhode Island, though neither study has published results yet.
Preorders are live at $34.99 on TiCKMiTT.com, with shipments expected within weeks. It was developed alongside Palladium Diagnostics and medical device engineering firm Gener8.
"Finding a tick often leaves families with more questions than answers," CEO Olivia Abrams said, framing the product around faster conversations with doctors rather than veterinarians specifically.
A diagnostic bet that bypasses the vet visit
TiCK TEST is launching as a human-health product, aimed at families and their physicians, and the release doesn't mention dogs or cats once. But Tick Solutions Global's actual retail footprint is built on pets. Its flagship tool, TiCK MiTT, sells at Petco, Costco, Bass Pro Shops, and Tractor Supply as a product explicitly marketed for "people and pets," across more than 3,500 retail locations, and it made TIME's Best Inventions of 2025 after a Shark Tank Season 16 appearance.
That distribution muscle matters more than the human framing suggests. A tick pulled off a dog works the same as one pulled off a person, and Lyme disease in dogs is one of the more common reasons vets run point-of-care panels like IDEXX's SNAP tests in the first place. If Tick Solutions Global extends TiCK TEST's positioning to pet owners next, a $34.99 impulse buy at the Petco checkout line becomes a real, if partial, substitute for a diagnostic conversation that currently happens inside a vet visit.
Whether pet-specific testing follows the human version
The release leans on a >99% accuracy figure without disclosing the sample size behind it, and the two academic validation studies cited are still in progress, not published. That's worth tracking before treating the number as settled.
The bigger signal to watch is whether Tick Solutions Global rolls out pet-specific marketing or packaging for TiCK TEST. Given where TiCK MiTT already sells, a pivot toward "for pets and people" positioning looks like the more obvious growth path than staying human-only, and it's the move that would force veterinary diagnostics incumbents to actually respond.
Other News
More stories shaping the pet industry this week. From funding rounds and product launches to regulatory shifts and retail strategy, stay ahead of what's driving the market.
Blue Buffalo gives Petco Love $150K for pet cancer treatment
Blue Buffalo is donating $150,000 to Petco Love for pet cancer treatment. Petco Love said the two have invested more than $21 million since 2010, supporting 12 partner organizations and oncology universities.
HABRI and Chewy Health find 36% of pet parents have used AI for pet care
HABRI and Chewy Health surveyed 2,008 U.S. dog and cat owners and found 36% have used AI for pet care and 81% have used AI at all. Among AI users with a veterinarian, 69% said it improved their relationship with their vet.
Pet Valu's comps rise 1.5% and its 2026 margin outlook moves up
Pet Valu's third-quarter same-store sales rose 1.5% after a 0.2% decline in the second quarter. The Canadian pet retailer raised its 2026 adjusted EBITDA margin outlook to about 21.5% and cut its new-store plan to about 37 openings.