Deer Tick Removal on Dogs
The deer tick, or L. Scapularis, is infamous for being one of the carriers of Lyme disease as well as a lesser known Tick Paralysis. The deer tick is smaller than the common dog tick. Their range is in the north central and northern portion of the U.S. One of the difficulties in dealing with this tick is its small size. The engorged adults are almost 1/2 inch large, with the earlier stages, such as nymph and larvae, even smaller. The deer tick has the readily identifiable round, flat body common to ticks. The color of the adult is dark, with a lighter-brown color around the outer edges. Deer tick removal on dogs is something that takes care to do, for it must be done properly as well as completely.
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Inspection
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Carefully inspect your dog every time it comes in from the outside. The swollen abdomen of the tick will make it easier to spot, since it will be engorged with blood.
Soap Method
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Soak a cotton ball with water and liquid soap. Place the soap- and water-soaked cotton ball over the deer tick and hold it in place for up to 20 seconds. Carefully lift up the cotton ball. The deer tick will be adhered to it.
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Petroleum Jelly
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This is another method of deer tick removal: coat a cotton ball with petroleum jelly. Hold the cotton ball over the tick for several seconds, then remove it. The tick will be stuck against the cotton ball.
Tweezers
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This is perhaps the most effective method for removing deer ticks. However, you need to take great care when doing so. Part the hair of the dog so that you can see the tick more clearly. You want to grasp the tick as near its head and as close to the skin of the dog as possible. Carefully grasp the tick's head and a portion of its body and gently and slowly pull the tick away from the dog. You may find you need to rock the tweezers a little as you do so. If you do this slowly, you should be able to dislodge the tick from the dog. Do not squeeze the body of the tick for the tick could regurgitate bacteria that's harmful back into the dog.
Inspect for the Head
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It is possible to remove the tick from the dog but still leave the head of the tick embedded in the dog's skin. If you do see the head, remove it from the dog with the tweezers.
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