Ticks are nasty little creatures that can cause Lyme disease in humans, and can also be harmful to dogs. You should be very careful if your dog has ticks and try to remove as soon as possible, as ticks can transfer very dangerous diseases to your dog. We will give you some tips on how to remove dog ticks.
Things to Keep In Mind
1. First, determine whether or not your dog has ticks. Take extra precautions during tick season, typically April to September. Check thoroughly through your dog’s fur. Also inspect inside and behind the ears, and around the eyes. Your dog may scratch frequently at an area where a tick resides, so keep an eye out for unusually frequent scratching.
2. When removing ticks, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. Do not throw the tick in the trash or flush it down the toilet once you remove it because neither of these are a guaranteed way to kill it. You should actually keep the tick in a jar – preferably one with a screw top and some rubbing alcohol. If you keep the tick, your veterinarian can test it in the event that your dog becomes ill.
3. If you are removing ticks you should also wear latex or rubber gloves to avoid any direct contact with the tick. It may also be better to have someone else hold your dog to keep it from squirming while you are removing the tick.
How to Remove Dog Ticks
1. Removing a tick from your dog is a delicate process. First treat the bite area with rubbing alcohol. This will help prevent infection, as removing the tick will leave a small, open bite wound on your dog’s skin.
2. You can either use a pair of tweezers, or a tick tick (pictured above), available at pet stores or your veterinarian’s office. Using the tick pliers, If you are using tweezers, grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Make sure you grab it by the head or mouth and not the body. Pull straight upward with even pressure. Do not twist or jerk when removing and do not squeeze or crush the tick.
3. Once the tick is removed examine the area again to make sure none of it got left behind.
4. Treat the bite area with a warm compress. Clean up completely and disinfect the bite site. Even if you are wearing gloves wash your hands with soap and water and sterilize your tweezers or tick pliers with alcohol and heat.
Tick Problems?
If you have more questions about how to remove dog ticks, try talking to a veterinarian. Use TalkLocal to be connected with up to three veterinarians in your area. Just tell us your problem, location, and availability, and we’ll find the right professional for you!
