How to remove ticks from dogs

Ticks carry diseases such as Lyme disease and that is why they should always be removed as soon as they are discovered on your pet. They are prevalent in grassy or wooded areas and and so owners must be particularly vigilant when taking their dog to a high risk area such as this.

The first stage for tick removal is finding one. Put on latex gloves and run your hands over the body of your dog, paying particular attention to the head and neck. If you feel a pea like lump then investigate further by parting the fur and having a look. Ticks are black or brown arachnids (they have 8 legs like spiders) and they attach themselves to your dog via the head which is the size of a pin. The body protrudes from the skin and can grow to the size of a grape.

Put the dog into a comfortable position, if possible finding a family member to try and calm/distract him. Use tweezers to get hold of the tick as near to the head as possible (being careful not to pinch your dog’s skin) and pull straight outwards. Don’t twist or yank or pull too hard as the head is likely to remain behind in these instances which can cause further irritation and infection for your dog.

Get rid of the tick by putting it in alcohol or throwing it in the fire. They don’t necessarily die when flushed down the toilet or down the sink, and sometimes crawl out of the sink an hour or so later!

Apply antiseptic cream to the bite, throw away the gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. The tweezers should be disinfected too.

Sometimes owners will use a lit cigarette, or match to try and remove the tick - the theory is the tick gets burnt so releases their grip on the dog and “backs out”. This is neither effective nor humane. The dog will suffer greatly and the tick will not necessarily come out.

If anyone has any other ideas on how to deal with ticks, send in your comments below.