How to Safely Remove a Tick from Dog or Cat

Learn How to Safely Remove a Tick from Your Dog or Cat

 

If you live in an area where Ticks are prevalent, checking your pet on a daily basis and removing a Tick that’s attached themselves to your Dog or Cat – can and will save it’s life. In many areas of the U.S., ticks are active year-round, even after a killing frost.

There are areas in the U.S. where Ticks aren’t commonly found, but they’ve been know to show up in uncommon areas. If your pet’s monthly Flea Killer dose doesn’t include a Tick Killer, then you’ll want to be extra diligent in checking your Dog or Cat for Ticks on a very regular basis.

 

If you identify a Tick on your Dog or Cat, and don’t feel comfortable removing the Tick – then you should quickly take your pet to their veterinarian or a vet clinic to perform the removal process.

 

How to Safely Remove a Tick from a Dog or Cat:

Never remove a Tick using your fingers. You won’t get it out cleanly and squeezing the Tick will embed more infectious substances into your pet.

The most common and most effective way to remove a Tick is with a special Tweezer made just for this purpose. You want to use a Tweezer with a fine point tip. You must avoid tearing or ripping the Tick, because part of the Tick can break off and be left in your pet. If this happens, infection will spread.

• Wear rubber gloves to protect Tick contact with your skin.
• Spread your pet’s fur. Using a steady hand, grasp the Tick as close to the skin as possible.
• Slowly and gently, in an upward motion – pull straight upward with an even pressure.

 

The best way to remove a Tick is by using a Tick Removal Hook. The most widely used are the Tick Twister and the Tick Stick.

The Tick Twister is precisely designed to make Tick removal safe. For this tool, the instructions are to place the prongs on either side of the Tick and twist upward. Makes for clean, easy and safe Tick removal.

Read details about the Tick Removal Tool including the Tick Twister, available on amazon.

 

 

• After the Tick is removed, put in a small container (maybe an empty pill bottle) filled with isopropyl alcohol.
• Write the date you found the Tick on the container.
• Place the container in a plastic bag, seal tightly with tape.
• Wash your hands thoroughly.
• Clean the Tick bite area with isopropyl alcohol or antiseptic.
• Rinse the Tweezers with isopropyl alcohol.

 

Monitor the Tick site on your pet and watch for any signs of infection. If the bite area remains or becomes irritated or infected – the pet needs to promptly go to their Vet. Take the container you placed the Tick in with you to the Vet as they may want to identify or test the Tick.

Tick related disease symptoms may include arthritis or lameness lasting for three to four days, swollen joints, fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite and neurological problems.

 

More to Explore:

Ticks on Pets, Which Hiding Places to Check

How to Identify a Tick on Your Pet

Common Tick Identification Chart

About Tick Lyme Disease in Pets

Photos of common Ticks and where they are found geographically in the U.S., from the CDC.

Tick Removal Information is available from the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention