How to Remove a Tick from a Dog
There are a smorgasbord of ticks lurking around to feast on your dog’s blood. However, there are 2 main species of ticks that are prone to invade your dog’s personal space. These include the Brown Dog Tick and the Paralysis Tick. For a list of ticks that may affect your dogs, here’s a list we recommend.
Brown Dog Ticks – Prefers to latch on to dogs. In fact, to demonstrate their love for dogs, they seldom bite humans. While the Brown Dog Tick relish humid climates and complete its life cycle in houses and kennels, it may also adapt to colder climates around the world. In most cases, they thrive in areas where other ticks find inhospitable. This tick does not pose a threat to humans in terms of transmitting diseases. However, it does bear the organism that is responsible for anaplasmosis and erlichiosis in cats and dogs.
Paralysis Tick – This tick is only situated on the East Coast of Australia. The Paralysis Tick is dangerous and can prove lethal to domestic animals through a toxin that causes paralysis. Each year, around 80,000 cases of tick toxicosis is treated in Australia.
A Paralysis Tick
How to Remove a Tick from a Dog
As you’re well informed about the procedures to take and not to take before removing a tick, here’s the actual process:
Using a tweezer (a sharp pointed tweezer is recommended), hold on to the tick as close to the dog’s skin as possible. Closest to the skin is usually closest to its mouthpart. This is done to ensure that the mouthpart does not get stuck into the dog and you avoid exposing the dog to organisms that may be expelled if the body of the tick is compressed.
Avoid twisting or jerking the tweezer while you pull out the tick. You should pull up in a straight, steady, and slow motion.
After pulling out the tick, save it. You can opt to store it (them) in a glass jar or any container that suits you with some isopropyl alcohol. It’s also best to label the container with the tick removal date and where you think the tick latched on to your dog.
Ensure to clean your dog’s wound and the tweezer with antiseptic. Even though your hands were gloved, the best practice is to wash them nonetheless.
Watch the bitten area. This is to ensure that your dog does not develop an infection.
Unless you’re an expert on ticks, it’s expected that you get it tested. This is to ensure that if the tick does carry pathogens that can cause diseases, your dog is able to get the best medical care. Note: There’s usually a fee associated with getting ticks examined. Read the full article.