Feeling a lump on your pet’s skin and discovering an embedded tick likely sends chills down your spine. But, you can safely and effectively manage this creepy situation and prevent your pet from developing a tick-related disease. Our team at Smithtown Animal Hospital explains what you should do when you find a tick on your pet. 

Why ticks are a threat to your pets

Ticks are parasites that pass on the pathogens they carry when they feed on their host’s blood. Ticks are notorious vectors for several diseases, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can cause problems in pets, from fever, lameness, and loss of appetite, to more serious complications such as kidney damage and neurologic issues. If you find a tick on your pet, you must remove the creature properly and promptly, and monitor your pet closely for any disease signs.

Follow these steps to remove a tick from your pet:

Step #1: Stay calm and prepare your pet

You may be alarmed at finding a tick on your pet, but you must remain calm to keep your dog calm.

First, before you get the tweezers, verify that the bump is indeed a tick, because you can easily mistake skin masses, warts, and nipples for ticks. Ticks have one attachment point at the head and six to eight visible legs, depending on their life stage. Engorged ticks will be swollen and a grey color, while recently attached ticks will be flat and brown.

Next, gather the supplies you’ll need, including:

  • Fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool
  • Gloves
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Small container
  • Antiseptic

Step #2: Safely remove the tick from your pet 

Wear gloves to avoid direct contact with the tick and potential infection. Using tweezers or a tick removal tool—never remove the tick with your bare fingers or use matches to burn it—grip the tick as close as possible to your pet’s skin. To extract the tick effectively, you must remove the entire tick, including the head and mouth parts, and minimize direct contact. Apply steady, gentle pressure, and pull the tick straight out. Do not squeeze the tick’s body, because that may release bacteria into your pet, and do not twist or jerk the body, because tick parts could break off and remain in your pet’s skin and cause infection.

Step #3: Dispose of the tick after removing it from your pet 

After removal, kill the tick in a small container filled with rubbing alcohol that you keep for identification purposes should your pet become ill. Do not squish the tick between your fingers or throw it in the trash, because ticks can survive and return to feed.

Step #4: Clean the area where the tick was attached to your pet

Clean the tick attachment site with warm water and mild soap, and apply an antiseptic to prevent infection. Tick bites are irritating, and a bump will likely form and remain at the attachment site for a few weeks. Also, clean your tweezers or tick removal tool with rubbing alcohol.

Step #5: Monitor your pet

Closely monitor your pet for any infection or illness signs. Ticks carry multiple serious diseases that generally are transmitted in several hours to a few days. If your pet is lethargic, limping, has enlarged lymph nodes, or shows other illness signs in the weeks following a tick bite, the bite site appears infected, or your pet develops hives, itchy skin, or a rash following a bite, contact our team at Smithtown Animal Hospital. 

Tips to protect your pet from ticks 

A proactive approach is the best protection for your pet. Use these strategies to minimize your pet’s risk of tick-borne diseases:

  • Year-round tick parasite prevention — Ticks are most active during early spring and fall, but some species can withstand cooler temperatures and are a year-round threat. Year-round parasite preventives can easily ensure your pet has effective, uninterrupted protection.
  • Regular tick checks — Regularly check your pet for ticks, especially after they’ve been outside in common tick areas, such as wooded or grassy areas. Pay close attention to your pet’s ears, neck, and between their toes. 
  • Yard maintenance — Keep your yard clean and free of tall grasses or brush that ticks favor. Regularly mow your lawn and trim shrubs to minimize tick habitats.
  • Vaccination — If you live in a tick-prone area, consider vaccinating your pet against Lyme disease, which is one of the most common tick-borne illnesses.

Finding a tick on your pet may be distressing, but you can manage the situation and protect your pet from harmful tick-borne diseases by staying calm and following the above steps.

If you need more help with tick removal, or you want to start your pet on a parasite prevention plan, contact our Smithtown Animal Hospital team. We are always here to help, and we can recommend the best products for your pet’s needs and your preferences.