Uh-O, You have located a tick on your dog! Now you should know that ticks can and do carry some serious diseases, such as Lyme disease bacteria and anaplasmosis. Ticks can also cause skin infections, so you have to take them out and take care of the place as soon as possible. Here is the method to locating and removing ticks from your dog:
1) Locate ticks – pet your dog and run your fingers through his fur to see if there are any bumps on the skin. Some ticks are very small, while some others are very large. They are generally black or brown and have an oval shape. They also have eight legs and get their heads stuck into the skin.
2) Take your tools – you will need a pair of tweezers and some alcohol. Also, have some disinfectant to clean the wound after you have removed the tick. If you live in an area where ticks are common, or where there is a lot of vegetation and grass, you should get a special device to get rid of ticks. These instruments look like spoons with holes and they work great on humans, too. There is a belief that you can kill the tick if you flush it down the toilet, but the best way to kill it is to put in in a jar of alcohol or spray it with some flea spray. Disinfect the tools before you use them.
3) Make sure your pet is calm. Feed him before you take out the tick, play with him for a while and get him tired. Make sure you give him his favorite toy to chew.
4) Search the dog for ticks – on his legs, between the toes and pads of his feet, under his legs, belly, chest and tail. Another place where ticks can appear is the ear, chin and the front of the neck. You should look for small bumps and begin to search from the back to the front. If your dog has curly fur, use a comb.
5) This step is optional. Bathe the dog with flea or tick shampoo. The chemicals in them may make the ticks easier to remove. If the dog is very young, do not go through this step!
6) When you locate a tick, part the hair and keep it separated until you remove the tick. If you lose the place where the tick is, go through the process again and make sure you part the hair right. Once you have done this, spray the tick with flea spray and wait for a couple of seconds, but do not overdo it.
7) Use the tweezers to remove the tick. Grab it by the head, right in the area where it entered the skin of the dog and pull gently. Do not grab the tick by the body, because this will cause it to break off, leaving the head stuck in the skin.
8) Rub some disinfectant on the skin of the pet and blow dry it.
Keep these tips in mind and say goodbye to your dog's ticks!
