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How to Remove Ticks From Pets

By eHow Pets Editor

Prevent your pet from getting sick by making sure they don't have any ticks

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Ticks thrive in woody, grassy and brushy areas and carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. That's why it's essential to keep them off your pet. Here are a few steps to ensure your pet is tick free.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Antiseptic
Flea And Tick Dog Shampoo
Hand Soaps
Eyebrow Tweezers
Dog Medication
Cotton Swabs
Dog Flea Combs
Lighter Or Matches
Dog Flea/tick Control Medication
Latex Gloves
Dog Brushes

Step1

Check your pet for ticks daily if he spends a lot of time outdoors, especially if you live in an area known for ticks.

Step2

Put on latex gloves to avoid direct contact with the tick and contaminated skin, as diseases can be transmitted from tick to pet to human.

Step3

Feel your pet all over, especially around the neck, head and ears. If you encounter a lump like a small pea, move the fur on your pet to see if you have found a tick.

Step4

Look to see if a tick is protruding from the skin. Ticks are tiny black, brown, reddish or tan disklike arachnids (having eight legs), about the size of the head of a pin. If they have attached themselves to their host (your pet), then they can swell up to the size of a grape in some cases.

Step5

Put your pet in a comfortable position. Ask a friend or family member for help in distracting your pet.

Step6

Grasp the tick with tweezers as close to your pet's skin as possible; make sure not to pinch your pet's skin.

Step7

Pull the tick out using a straight, steady pulling motion. Be gentle; pulling too hard on the tick can cause its head to remain lodged in your pet's skin, which can lead to inflammation and secondary infection.

Step8

Dispose of the tick by throwing it into a fire, or by squishing it in a tissue using the tweezers and then flushing it down the toilet. Do not smash it with your foot or your bare hands.

Step9

Apply antiseptic ointment to the bite.

Step10

Remove and wash the gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly.

Step11

Clean the tweezers with hot water or isopropyl alcohol or by holding them over a flame.

Tips & Warnings

Consider using a flea and tick shampoo if you find several ticks in your search.
Obtain a tick collar from your veterinarian. Also ask about anti-tick products that you can apply to your pet's skin.
Contact your veterinarian if you suspect that your pet has been infected with Lyme disease. The most common symptoms are a rash (visible if you part the hair), followed by recurring joint pain (which the pet may manifest by limping).

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 While many of these things are effective in getting a tick to let go, they tend to make the tick regurgitate before doing so. Since the pathogens ticks carry tend to reside in the gut, this is exactly what you don't want them to do! Ticks should only be removed by carefully pulling them straight out.

Anonymous said

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on 1/2/2006 Don't smother the tick with Vaseline, nail polish, mineral oil, or anything else. If the tick is smothered, it may regurgitate the blood mixed with its own toxins back into your pet which can, of course, increase the risk of disease. The tweezer method is best. Approach from the side, rather than the back, and be patient. Slower is better as you will be less likely to leave the head behind. If your dog is difficult, use a tissue, grab the tick at it's base and try not to pop the body. Clean the site, the tweezers, and your hands thoroughly with rubbing alcohol after you flush the tick. Flush or burn, don't just squish it as ticks are hard to kill and may survive. Good luck.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 One word of advice - Never use the old remedy of applying heat (such as a match head or a cigarette) to a tick to get it to release. Researchers have found that ticks treated this manner will frequently spit up before they release, thereby transferring any pathogens they may be carrying into the host. The whole purpose of removing the tick is to prevent this from happening, so don't use heat under any circumstances. It's better to leave the tick where it is for a short while, until you can remove the tick properly.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 When you remove a tick from your animal, bring the tick in a jar or plastic bag and submit it to your veterinarian. Some clinics send ticks off to be tested for Lyme disease.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Watch when washing Fido's blanket. I wash Fido's bedding every week during tick season, and those friendly ticks hang on. I put the bedding over the fence, check carefully, use tweezers, and squeeze until the ticks are cut in half.

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