Removing tick from dog - no tool!

littlesnuggy

Help! My pug has just returned from a weekend at his dog-sitters and I'm pretty certain he has a tick on his forehead - he's not keen on me looking but it's like an orangey-red blob.

I don't have one of those tools, so what should I do?

jetplane

Use vodka to sterilise it unless you happen to have some proper stuff, get a pair of tweezers and very carefully pull it out. Don't yank or try to do it quickly as you might pull the body away and leave the head in. My husband had to do this a few times with our springer and the neighbours used to fetch their dogs here when they had a tic

rising_from_the_ashes

Sorry but it's now generally advised NOT to dose the tick with alcohol (used to be pretty common practice) as they can actually regurgitate into the dog which can cause infection :eek: (and, before anyone jumps on me - I actually used to do this too!)

Personally, I'd leave it until the morning and get a proper tool to ensure it's taken out properly

I know someone the other week who tried with tweezers, left the head behind and the dog got the most awful infection:(

krlyr

There's supposed to be a method where you rub the tick in circles and it falls off.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-remove-a-tick/

rising_from_the_ashes

This is quite good http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mN3HDzCpiU

Maisie gets huge lumps when she gets them .... horrid things urgh!

trolleyrun

If you want to try to remove the tick without a tool, then I'd follow these steps:

Get another person to help hold the dog still. Wrapping the dog in a towel might help keep limbs under control.

Get some tweezers and sterilise them (I hold the tip in a flame for 10 seconds)

Have some boiling water handy, but away from the dog to avoid any spillage.

Put the tweezers around the tick, don't squeeze too hard. Gently try to ease the tick out. Do not pull hard! If you're not used to doing it this way, it might take a bit of time, but persevere with it.

Keep telling your dog s/he is wonderful etc throughout the procedure (if they're keeping still that is).

Once the tick is out, put it in the boiling water in a cup or tub of some sort.
Inspect your dog to check you got the whole tick out (also look at the tick closely).

When you're sure the tick is dead, put it on some kitchen roll or similar to dry and then put in a ziplock bag to keep for a few weeks in case of infection. There are several types of ticks and this will help your vet to decide the right type of treatment.

Give your dog some treats and cuddles.

I'm lucky that when I had to do this earlier in the year, my dog realised that I was helping her and lay still Also, no repercussions on my removal technique which is a bonus.

I will add that the best option of course is to take the dog to the vet to have the tick removed (I didn't have that option due to my location at the time)

Good luck!

littlesnuggy

So after lots and lots of squirming/ running away / jerking etc, we finally kept his head still with the lure of bacon.

Made a makeshift remover with a plastic spoon/fork with an extra narrow slit cut into it. After about a hundred attempts I got it under the tick and it came off - I can't say I pulled gently or twisted because he jerked his head and it came away.

I'm now hoping we've got the whole thing and not left its head inside. Can anyone tell from the below picture (I poured boiling water on it and left it for 30mins before taking it off the fork to inspect):


It was wriggling around on the fork when it came off if that's of any relevance!

rising_from_the_ashes

Yuk!

Looks pretty intact & if so you've been really lucky & I'd never recommend doing it that way:(

Keep an eye on the bit where it was for a few days & take hi to the vet if it starts to look horrible ohhhhhhh and please get a proper too for the next one


Yuk!

Glad its out as they're vile things

trolleyrun

It looks pretty intact to me, but I'm not a vet. If it's still wriggling, pour some more boiling water on it. Don't forget to keep it - and don't squash it. If you have any antiseptic to hand, put a little bit on the bite, just make sure your dog can't lick it off.

zaksmum

You can do it with a steel comb if you haven't got the tool. Just slide the teeth of the comb under the tick then lift it sharply clear of the dog without twisting.

The tick in the picture looks like you got it all.

spacey2012

A blob of vasline makes them get their head out as they breath through their backsides.
Just smudge the little blighter and in ten minutes it will be swimming in the Vaseline.