A simple “remove tick from dog” procedure is outlined below. No fancy tricks and nothing to be afraid of – it’s easy, really!
If you are anything like me, the thought of tick removal can send you running. Unfortunately, it is a necessary part of pet ownership.
When I was younger, I remember when my parents would try to remove ticks from our family dog. They would try holding a lit match near the end of the tick or smothering it in Vaseline. Neither of those are recommended (and they don’t really work either) – the match can be quite dangerous and the Vaseline just makes things messy!
The best “remove tick from dog” procedure is outlined below:
- Sterilize a pair of tweezers and rinse in rubbing alcohol. Wipe some rubbing alcohol around the area where the tick is attached.
- Firmly grab the tick with the tweezers as close to where he is attached to the skin as possible. Sometimes it is easier to grab from the side of the tick.
- Keep a firm grip and gently pull the tick away from the dog. Don’t yank too hard or you may leave the head attached. Sometimes if you wiggle it just a bit that helps.
The tick should come out and you will probably see a bit of flesh attached at the head (Yech!). This is good since it means you got the whole tick. Wipe the area with rubbing alcohol and keep a watch on it to make sure it does not get infected. If you think the head is still in there, contact your vet – some say it is ok and the head will just work it’s way out and others say it needs to be removed.
Now what do you do with it? Some people burn them (this is not recommended since, while it does kill them it can be dangerous), some flush them down the toilet. My vet puts them in a vile of some secret liquid which kills them. Others crush them – but be careful if you choose this method as they are very difficult to squish and you certainly don’t want them running around the house!