How to Safely Remove a Tick

If your dog or cat likes to roam outdoors, you should check daily for ticks as they have the capacity to spread deadly diseases within one day of contact. If you are unsure of how to look for or remove ticks, this article will teach you the critical steps to safeguard your pet from parasites.

Step One: Gather Supplies

It is important to have the proper supplies on hand to remove ticks and care for the wound after its removal. Your animal will naturally want to move around which will make it more difficult if you do not have the supplies you need close by.

• Latex Gloves
• Tweezers
• Alcohol Or Antiseptic Wipes
• Small Container With Lid For Tick
• Naturally Calm Anxiety Support Chews:

You want your dog to be calm which is why we recommend Naturally Calm Anxiety Support Chews as pets tend to be antsy and nervous during the tick removal process.

Step Two: Look For Ticks

Put on your gloves to avoid contact with the tick since humans are also susceptible to bites or infections through cuts. Start your search at the head and pay attention to the ears and neck. Slowly inspect the body and feet. While the most common areas for tick bites are the head, ears, neck, and feet, some animals who love to relax in the grass will experience an infestation in which you will find them anywhere on the body.

Step Three: Tweezer Use

Carefully position the tweezers between the tick and your pet’s skin. Be careful as the tweezers will easily cut into the skin causing unnecessary pain. Gently pinch the tick and pull it out with a steady, pulling motion. You do not want to leave the head of the tick in the skin since it will cause additional infections to occur. If you accidentally break the body from the head, do not panic. Use a small sterilized needle and gently lift the head from the skin. If you are afraid to do this step, you can visit your vet for removal. As ticks are so common, it is a good idea to learn the process to reduce the cost of vet visits.

Step Four: Immobilize The Tick

You need to keep the tick as your dog has a chance of developing diseases including Lyme disease, tick paralysis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. You can either put the tick in a container with a lid and remove it to a wooded area after a few weeks or add a bit of alcohol to kill the tick so you have it on hand if your dog gets ill.

Step Five: Disinfect The Area

You want to add alcohol or antiseptic spray to the bite area to disinfect and reduce the likelihood of infection. If you notice redness or inflammation, you need to contact your veterinarian (which is why you keep the tick to identify the disease quickly).

You will need to watch your pet for two to three weeks for symptoms like fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, or swollen glands. If you see any changes, call the vet and bring the tick for testing.

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