How to Remove a Tick from Your Dog. First here are Five Tick Facts
Did you know that ticks are not insects? With their eight legs and Arachnida classification, they’re more closely related to spiders.
Ticks only breed while they’re feeding.
Ticks can be found in nearly every part of the world, and can survive a wide range of climates.
Ticks can’t actually jump onto your dog. They wait in grass or bushes and latch on to a potential host passing by.
A female tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs, and for certain species, the number is closer to 20,000. According to the American Kennel Club the best way to remove a tick is as follows: Using a pair of tweezers is the most common and effective way to remove a tick. But not just any tweezers will work. Most household tweezers have large, blunt tips. You should use fine-point tweezers, to avoid tearing the tick and spreading possible infections into the bite area.
Spread your dog’s fur, then grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Very gently, pull straight upward, in a slow, steady motion. This will prevent the tick’s mouth from breaking off and remaining embedded in the skin. People often believe it’s the head of the tick that embeds in the skin. But ticks don’t have heads, in the conventional sense, so what gets inserted into your dog is known as “mouth parts.” Never remove a tick with your fingers—it’s not only ineffective, but the squeezing may also further inject infectious material.
After you’ve removed the tick, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly, clean the bite site with rubbing alcohol, and rinse the tweezers or tool with disinfectant. Try and keep ticks from getting on your dog can be tricky. The easiest, most hands-off way to keep ticks off your dog is to simply strap on a tick collar. Tick collars work by gradually releasing a pesticide that gets gradually absorbed into your dog's skin (not his bloodstream, don't worry), making him essentially tick-proof. If you want long-lasting protection from both ticks and fleas, spot on treatments are the way to go. These "drops" are topical treatments that you apply on your dog just once a month to not only kill and repel ticks, but also fleas in all life stages, biting flies, mosquitoes and lice. Your dog has to be bathed anyway, right? Why not multitask and lather him up with a tick shampoo that will not only kill ticks and fleas currently living on his body, but also keep them off? Ticks are tricky little buggers and sometimes, despite your best efforts, they can find a way onto your dog anyway. The best way to catch them before they can do any damage? Check your dog regularly!
