How to Help a Dog Infested With Ticks
Being infested with ticks is uncomfortable for your dog. Ticks attach themselves to your dog in order to feed off of your dog's blood. Because of this, it is possible for the ticks to transmit diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Fever or Lyme disease to your dog. Helping a dog infested with ticks involves removing the ticks as soon as possible and then treating the tick bites.
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Instructions
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Locate each tick by inspecting your dog's entire body. On a long haired dog, comb through the dog's fur to locate all of the ticks on its body. On any dog, check the stomach area, around the legs, near the ears and on the face, as these are the areas most likely to be affected by a tick infestation.
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2
Soak a cotton swab in mineral oil. Hold it against the tick for 30 seconds. This loosens the skin around the tick, which will make it easier to remove.
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3
Grasp the tick with tweezers and pull it straight away from the dog. Don't twist as you pull because twisting will break the head off the tick.
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Repeat steps one through three until you have removed all of the ticks from the dog.
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5
Bathe your dog using a flea and tick shampoo that kills tick eggs. These shampoos usually contain antibacterial agents and anti-itching agents that will protect the dog from infection and stop the itching.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact your dog's veterinarian if you are unable to remove all the ticks or if your dog becomes sick. Vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite and loss of balance are signs that mean you need to call the vet. Additionally, if any of the tick bites show signs of infection (swelling, seeping fluid, hot to the touch or extremely red), you should contact the vet.
Never remove a tick using your fingernails. Ticks carry diseases and these diseases can live under your fingernails, possibly infecting you or your dog.
References
- Photo Credit dog image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
