How to Remove a Tick from a Dog | Tick Season in Texas

If you’ve found a tick on your dog, it’s important to remove it right away. Ticks take anywhere from 3 to 36 hours to pass on an infection, so the sooner you find it and get rid of it, the safer your dog will be. The good news is that it’s not that difficult to remove these creepy critters if you know the proper method.

  1. You will need a pair of fine-tipped tweezers (rather than wide, blunt tips) or a tick removal hook, rubbing alcohol, disposable latex gloves for yourself, and a small jar or zip lock bag. It’s very helpful to use a magnifying glass and antibiotic cream like Neosporin after removal.
  2. Work under good lighting, and use a magnifying glass so that you can see clearly what you’re doing.The image shows a person using a green tick removal hook to gently remove one of these engorged parasites.
  3. Grasp the tick with the tweezers as close to the dog’s skin as possible, and pull straight upwards in a gentle, slow, and steady motion. Try not to jerk, twist, or squeeze the tick’s body, as this can cause the mouth parts to break off and remain embedded in the dog. Slow and steady is the key.
  4. If you are using a tick removal hook as pictured here, slide the prongs around it, then slowly twist until the tick disengages from the dog, and finally pull upwards. Again, keep your movements slow and steady.
  5. Sometimes part of the tick will break off and remain embedded in your pup despite your best efforts. If that happens, it’s not a disaster. Just take your dog to your vet, who can remove any remaining pieces.
  6. Have a small jar of rubbing alcohol ready to drop the tick into once you’ve got it off the dog. It’s a good idea to keep the jar with the now-dead tick in it for a couple of weeks, just in case your dog seems unwell later. That way your vet can have a look at it to see whether it could be the cause of your pup’s illness. (Some veterinarians prefer that you don’t put the tick in alcohol, as alcohol interferes with Lyme disease testing.)
  7. Clean the affected area on your dog with alcohol and apply antibiotic ointment. Disinfect the tweezers or tool with alcohol, and wash your hands with soap.
  8. By no means should you try to remove these pesky parasites with your fingers, or squash it once it’s removed, as this can spread disease. Also never try to remove one using a match, or smothering it in Vaseline; these methods don’t work, and are potentially harmful to your pet.
  9. Monitor your dog for the next three weeks for any signs of illness.
  10. If you feel unsure about doing this removal yourself, you can ask your veterinarian to do it, and learn how from them. If this is you, then don’t delay, take your pup over to the vet’s office now!

How to Find Ticks on Dogs

First of all, you can run your fingers through your pet’s fur starting from the head, and see if you feel anything like a small pea. However, if you’re checking right after coming home from being outdoors, in many cases the critter is still crawling around and still very small. So use a comb to go through your dog’s hair and take a close look for these. They are easy to grab with tweezers and remove if they haven’t bitten the dog yet.

These parasites prefer to go to places that are hard for dogs to reach and where they cannot be licked off. So pay close attention to their favorite spots:

  • The head, ears, and eyelids. If your dog is shaking its head, scratching an ear, have a closer look. The ears and eyelids are delicate, and you may prefer to have your veterinarian do the removal from these spots.
  • The back of the neck and under the collar
  • The feet between the toe pads.
  • The underside of the tail and groin area
  • The “armpits” under the legs

Vet removing a tick from a dog’s head with tweezers.Tick Prevention

As the old saying goes, “It’s better to build a fence at the top of the cliff, than a hospital at the bottom.” You can do that by checking your furry friend for ticks as often as needed and removing any promptly. There are also many safe options for preventative medication on the market today. Talk with your vet to determine the best tick preventative method for your pup, such as a tick and flea collar, external drops, or oral medication.

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Kyle Pet Vet - Republic Veterinary HospitalRepublic Veterinary Hospital in Kyle, Texas

Whether you need help with tick removal, a routine check-up, or special surgery, we’re here for you and your pet. We’re offering $15 off for your first visit, so come on by. Just give us a ring at 512-269-0738 to schedule an appointment!