Getting Tough on Ticks

How to Remove a Tick from Your Dog or Cat (Like a Pro)

By Dr. Alicia Ashley, DVM

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It’s the end of a long and hectic day. The kids are in bed, the dishes are done, and you finally plop down on the couch to unwind. Your faithful, furry pal jumps up next to you and nestles in. As you give them a good scratch behind their ears, your hand grazes something that definitely doesn’t belong. You frantically run your fingers through their fur to find the offending culprit. And there it is—a big, ugly tick, happily feasting away on the blood of your best bud! What do you do?

You:

A: Completely freak out, waking the kids with your panicked shrieks.

B: Don’t sweat it; it’ll eventually fall off on its own anyway.

C: Grab nail polish remover; you’ve heard these nasty little critters can’t stand it.

D: Contain your disgust, take a deep breath, and follow the tips in this article.

Even if your screams did wake the kids, hopefully, you still chose “D” as your answer—keep reading to find out what to do (and what not to do!) next.

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Why do Tick Bites Matter?

Ticks don’t jump or fly, so this uninvited guest will stay put on your pet, gorging itself on a blood meal until it falls off like an overstuffed blimp—but not if you have anything to say about it! If left alone, ticks can feed for several days. Before feeding, they are tiny—about the size of a sesame seed—making them hard to detect. As they fill up on a blood meal, they engorge to about the size of a coffee bean. Some ticks carry pathogens that can make your pet (and you, if you’re bitten) seriously ill, and the longer the tick is attached, the higher the chance of spreading a tick-borne disease. So, with that in mind, let’s get to it!

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But First…

Before we get to the good part—evicting the intruder—we will cover things to avoid, supplies you’ll need, and when to call a professional.

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1. Things to Avoid

Don’t be fooled by misinformed and often harmful tips when removing a tick. Remember:

·?????? Never use any heat source, such as a flame, to remove a tick

·?????? Never apply any topical product directly to the tick (e.g., essential oils, petroleum jelly, nail polish, salt, alcohol, or products marketed as "natural tick removers")

·?????? Never squeeze a tick’s body

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These methods cause a tick to regurgitate into your pet, increasing your pet’s risk of exposure to any disease the tick may carry. Flame and some topical products can also harm your pet, so it's best to avoid these methods altogether. When used appropriately, tweezers or specially designed tick removal tools, such as a Tick Twister?, are safe and effective.

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2. Supplies You’ll Need

·?????? Gloves—if you don’t have gloves, avoid touching the tick with bare hands (touching with bare hands can increase your risk of exposure to pathogens the tick may carry)

·?????? Good lighting

·?????? Clean, fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool

·?????? Soap and water

·?????? Rubbing alcohol

·?????? Empty container with a lid or resealable clear bag

·?????? Treats to distract and reward food-motivated pets

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3. When to Call a Professional

While removing a tick at home is usually straightforward, it may be better to get help in some circumstances. Have a veterinary professional remove the tick(s) if:

·?????? You don’t have the proper supplies

·?????? Your pet won't tolerate the tick removal—too squirmy, uneasy, fearful, or showing aggression

·?????? Your pet has a large tick infestation

·?????? The tick is in a delicate or hard-to-reach area (e.g., eyelids, lips, inside the ears, genitals)

·?????? For any reason you’re uncomfortable removing the tick yourself

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Now that you are fully prepared, it’s time to put on your game face. Here is your guide to removing a tick in five simple steps using tweezers. If you have a specially designed tick removal tool, follow the instructions provided with that tool.

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How To Remove a Tick with Tweezers:

1. Use the tweezers to grasp the tick firmly, as close to your pet’s skin as possible. Do not squeeze the engorged part of the tick’s body.

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2. Pull up without twisting. Ticks have a solid anchoring system; you may have to pull harder and longer than expected—slow and steady upward force is key.

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3. After removal, check if any parts are left in your pet’s skin—this may look like a black spot in the bite wound. If this happens, don’t despair. Embedded mouthparts cannot transmit disease after the tick's body is removed, and the wound can still heal, even if you leave a small part behind. Avoid digging the part out—this leads to more irritation and sometimes a skin infection. Check with your veterinarian—they may recommend coming into the veterinary clinic to remove the piece or just monitoring closely at home.

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4. Place the tick into a jar or resealable bag and add rubbing alcohol to kill it. We will deal with it later!

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5. Clean the bite area with soap and water and wash your hands thoroughly.

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You Did it! Now What?

Hooray—your furry friend is free from this pest. Dole out the treats—you deserve one too! But you’re not quite finished yet. It’s time to check your pet for other ticks. Carefully inspect the areas around your pet’s ears, mouth, and eyes and run your hands through their fur, going from head to tail and everywhere between. Don’t forget to check underneath their paws and between their toes—those ticks can be tricky!

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Now, what do we do with the creepy-crawly offender? As tempting as it may be to dispose of it immediately, you may want to have your veterinarian identify the species first. Although several species of ticks exist, only a handful carry serious diseases. Your veterinarian can also discuss tick prevention products that keep future bites at bay. If you no longer need to hang on to the tick for identification, you can flush it down the toilet.

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Keeping Watch

Some pets may develop a skin infection shortly after a bite. Mild redness is okay (like a mosquito bite), but if you notice excessive redness, pain, swelling, or oozing from the bite, contact your veterinarian right away.

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Ticks can carry many pathogens that cause serious diseases in people and animals. Keeping track of when your pet was bitten, and the type of tick can be helpful information for your veterinarian if your pet becomes ill. Remember, just because your pet was bitten does not mean your pet will develop a tick-borne disease.

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To reduce the chance of your pet getting tick bites and tick-borne diseases, avoid tick-infested areas, do daily tick checks, remove ticks as soon as you find them, and use a tick-preventative product as directed by your veterinarian.

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And there you have it! You can now cross “being your pet’s hero” from your list. It's time for you and your furry pal to return to your couch cuddles and relax.

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