How to Remove a Tick From a Pet

Part of loving and caring for a dog or cat involves periodically checking for ticks, especially after a walk in the woods. Pet owners who live in rural areas should frequently examine their pets for ticks as well. Left untreated, ticks can lead to health problems such as Lyme Disease or even death. Here's how to remove a tick safely and gently from your pet.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tick remover
• Rubbing alcohol

1. Purchase a tick removal kit from a pet store or your veterinarian's office. A tick remover looks like a split piece of metal. Such devices may have magnifying lenses on them so you can easily see the tick.

2. Position the tick remover behind the tick. Slide it forward so that the tick ends up inside the split. Keep sliding; as the split narrows, the tick remover forces the tick up and out of the pet's skin.

3. Investigate other tick removal devices. Some look like miniature crowbars; these allow a twisting motion that works with the split removal method described above. Others look like a clamp with a pressure-mounted hinge. Grab the tick around its mouth, squeeze the clamp and firmly twist and pull away the tick.

4. Use items you already have around the house. Try a flea comb; slide its teeth under the mouth of the tick. Pull backward and gently lift the tick away. You may also use tweezers to remove a tick, although you run the risk of squeezing the tick's body and forcing infectious fluid back into your pet.

5. Kill the tick by placing it in rubbing alcohol after you have removed it; avoid using petroleum jelly or lit matches to dispose of the tick.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have any tools available to remove a tick, you can get rid of it manually. Grasp the tick firmly and twist it approximately 3 1/2 turns in one direction. The tick should eventually let go. Do not pull the tick straight out; this may leave the tick's mouth or other body parts embedded in your pet's flesh and can cause problems later.