Blog: How to Remove a Tick

The weather is finally cooling off and people and their pets are venturing outdoors more.  Despite the cooler weather, pesky parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are abundant.  On a side note, these parasites can remain active throughout much of the year and this is why year round parasite control is so important.  As you are aware (because you read our earlier blog on why you need to keep these pests away from your pet), fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes carry and spread disease to pets and people.  For this reason, it is very important to know how to keep your pet free from them.  Since ticks imbed themselves in their host, and there are many UNSAFE recommendations about how to remove them, these are the easiest, and safest, ways to remove ticks.

Use Veterinary Recommended Flea and Tick Prevention
This may seem obvious, but we see many people that come in with dogs or cats covered in fleas and/or ticks that have been using no products or over the counter products.  It is easiest, and reduces the risk of disease transmission, if you keep parasites away from your pet.  Using a flea and tick preventative will not necessarily keep every single flea or tick from ever touching your pet.  If a pet goes into an area that is saturated with fleas or ticks, they will come into contact with them and they will pick some up.  The idea is that you use a product that helps to repel the parasites in the first place and then starts to kill any that do manage to get on your pet.  Also, remember that use of these products should be year round to keep from getting fleas or ticks in your home, as these parasites will then be protected from the weather.  Also, remember that ALL pets in the household should be protected to prevent a reservoir for the parasites.

Removal of an Embedded Tick
So, you forgot to apply your topical product or your pet got into an area that had large numbers of ticks and they managed to get one.  What now?
1. NEVER put anything on the tick or burn the tick to try to remove it.  This will cause the tick to expel fluids from the digestive tract and increase the risk of disease transmission.
2. NEVER remove a tick with your fingers.  It is best to use a pair of tweezers, grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out.  Once the tick is removed, inspect the area that was in the skin to make sure the head and mouth parts are still attached to the tick and not left in the skin.
3. KILL that tick after it has been removed.  You can soak them in a container of rubbing alcohol or burn them AFTER they are removed.  Do not just throw them in the trash, throw them outside, or flush them down the sink or toilet.  Believe it or not, this doesn’t kill them.
4. INSPECT the area that the tick was removed from. If there is any redness, swelling, pain, discharge, or anything unusual have a health care professional inspect the area.

When in doubt, if you are unable to safely remove a tick, bring your pet in and let your veterinary staff help you!