How to Safely Remove Ticks from your Dog

Let's talk tick removal! Ticks are small and pesty. They are also known for spreading nasty diseases. The good news is that it takes anywhere from 24-36 hours for the tick to transmit a disease to your pup. So, you have time to remove the tick without any harm to your dog. No matter the amount of time the tick has been on your fluffy friend it is always a good idea to call your vet and ask if you should bring them in for a checkup. 

The first step is to check your dog for ticks and decide if what is on your pup is a actually a tick. Check out our post of how to find ticks on your dog here. 

• Gloves
• Tweezers or a tick removal tool
• Disinfectant
• Anti-septic cream
• Isopropyl Alcohol 

Option 1: Using Tweezers

Spread the fur apart around the area where you found the tick. Using your clean pair of tweezers pinch the tick as close to your dogs skin without pinching the skin itself. Next, slowly pull up on the tick. You'll want to pull it straight up without any jerking. By pulling steadily you reduce the risk of leaving anything behind. 

Option 2: Tick Removal Tool

Using your clean removal tool place the notch over the tick. Slowly pull the tool flat across your dogs body. The tick should come right out in the tool. 

Disposing of the Tick and Cleaning the Area:

You can place the tick in isopropyl alcohol to save for a week or two. If your dog starts to display different symptoms you can take the tick in for testing to see what it might have given your dog. You can also flush the tick down the toilet as well. 

After you remove the tick from your dog be sure to clean the area where the tick bit. Using a clean hand spread some anti-septic cream onto the affected area. 

Tick Removal Do Nots: 

• Do not use a match or a lighter. This can cause the tick to vomit which would increase the chance of infection
• Do not use nail polish removal. This could also cause the tick to vomit. 
• Never use your fingers to remove the tick. Using your fingers could cause the tick to break off in pieces. 

Tick Prevention: 

There are many options to help keep you dog safe from bugs and ticks. You can use medicine they ingest or a collar they can wear that helps repel the bugs. The downside of using these methods is it could cause some side effects for your pet. We love using All-Natural Bug Blocker on our fur friend. It is chemical free and completely safe for dogs of any ages.