Removing a tick from a dog or cat (with or without tweezers)
Found a tick? You have to remove it quickly, but not just anyhow to avoid infection.
Recommended Materials
- Tick remover (hook)
- Disinfectant (Betadine)
- Tweezers (last resort)
Steps to follow
Step 1
The ideal method (The tick remover): It is the only really safe tool. It looks like a small green plastic crowbar. Slide the hook under the tick, flush with the animal's skin. Do not pull! Turn the hook (like unscrewing a screw) counterclockwise. After 2 or 3 turns, the tick comes off by itself with its head (the rostrum).
Step 2
The backup method (Tweezers): Only use if you don't have a tick remover. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible (the head). Do not pinch the body (abdomen)! If you press on the body, the tick regurgitates its saliva (and diseases like Piroplasmosis or Lyme) into your animal's blood. Pull gently and straight up.
Step 3
WHAT NEVER TO DO: Never put oil, ether, alcohol or nail polish on the tick to 'suffocate' it. This stresses it and causes immediate regurgitation of toxins before it dies.
Step 4
After removal: Check that the head has not remained planted in the skin. Disinfect the area with Betadine or Chlorhexidine. Kill the tick (it is very resistant: burn it or drown it in 90° alcohol, do not throw it alive in the trash or toilet, it comes back up).
Step 5
Surveillance: Monitor the area for a few days. If a target-shaped redness appears or if your animal seems tired, has a fever or dark urine -> Veterinary EMERGENCY.
Frequently Asked Questions
The head stayed in the skin ?
Don't panic. Disinfect well. The head will eventually be rejected by the skin like a small splinter (small cyst). Just watch that there is no infection.
Precautions
- Wear gloves if possible.
- Inspect the animal well after a walk.
