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How to remove a tick from a dog

How to remove a tick at home from a human or dog?

During the warm season, tiny arachnids called ticks wait on grasses and branches for the opportunity to latch onto your skin. These tiny creatures, about 3 mm in length, attach themselves and feed on the blood of humans or animals. Besides their bloated appearance being disgusting, ticks can transmit serious diseases like tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease. Here’s how to remove a tick to significantly reduce your risk of infection.

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How to Remove a Tick – Preliminary Preparation

It’s important to note that before attaching, a tick might crawl around on your body for up to 30 minutes looking for the best spot. So, after returning from a walk, inspect yourself and your pets immediately. You might be able to remove the tick before it has attached itself.

If the tick has already attached, avoid using folk remedies like coating it with petroleum jelly or oil, trying to smoke it out with a match, or panicking and scraping your skin. First, gather the necessary items for safe removal:

  1. Gloves – Latex, rubber, or even a plastic bag will work. This is to protect yourself from the tick’s blood and saliva if it accidentally gets crushed.
  2. Disinfectant and cotton – To treat the bite area. Alcohol, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, or iodine solution will suffice.
  3. Fine-tipped tweezers, sturdy thread, or a special tick remover if you have one.
  4. Warm water and soap. Or at least wet wipes to clean your hands.

Before starting, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and wear gloves. Disinfect all tools. This process, though simple, requires careful attention.

How to Remove a Tick with a Tick Remover

A tick remover is a very convenient tool. Usually, these are sold in pet stores but they work well for humans too. Gently position the remover around the tick’s body so that the tick is between the two prongs. Slowly twist the handle until the tick is removed. Wash your hands with soap again afterward, and disinfect the bite area.

How to Remove a Tick with Tweezers

Use fine-tipped tweezers. The same tool used for eyebrow grooming can also work. Before removing the tick, locate its head. Upon close inspection, you’ll see the head embedded in the skin and the body behind it. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with the tweezers.

It’s crucial to grab the tick by its head or near it. If you accidentally squeeze its body, the tick’s saliva or blood may be released into the skin, increasing the risk of infection. Avoid using your fingers to assist.

Holding the tick firmly by the head with the tweezers, pull it upwards steadily. Ideally, it will come out with its mouthparts intact. If parts remain embedded in the skin, try to remove them with disinfected tweezers. If unsuccessful, let the skin heal naturally, monitoring for signs of infection.

After the procedure, wash the bite area and your hands with warm soapy water. You can also treat the area with rubbing alcohol or iodine.

How to remove a tick with tweezers

How to Remove a Tick with Thread

If you find a tick but don’t have any tools at hand, you can use a piece of thread. Any thin, strong thread will work, preferably silk or unwaxed dental floss.

Before removing the tick, practice making tight loops and check the thread’s strength. Create a loop and place it around the tick as close to the skin as possible. Tighten the loop firmly and gently pull the tick out. This method can be tricky, and there’s a high chance that the tick’s mouthparts will remain in the skin. This is unpleasant but safer than leaving the tick intact. After removal, disinfect the skin thoroughly.

How to Remove a Tick with a Credit Card

This method is not ideal from a medical standpoint but is better than trying to pull the tick out with your fingers or using various chemicals. If you find a tick on your body and have no suitable tools, use a credit card:

  • Bring the edge of the card close to the tick’s head.
  • Press the card firmly against the skin.
  • Slide the card under the tick’s head, as if trying to cut it off.

After several attempts, the tick may loosen its grip and detach, or its mouthparts may break off. Clean the wound with an alcohol-based disinfectant, wash with soap, and wipe with antibacterial wipes.

How to remove a tick on a human

How to Remove a Tick – Post-Removal Actions

Once you’ve decided how to remove a tick and successfully done so, dispose of it properly. You can flush it down the toilet or destroy it in another convenient way. Do you need to send it for analysis? Most doctors agree that it’s not necessary. However, if it provides peace of mind, place the tick in a bag and take it to a specialized lab.

If the tick was attached for less than a day and was not crushed during removal, the risk of contracting dangerous diseases is low. Monitor the bite site for any signs of redness, inflammation, or other symptoms. If any unpleasant symptoms occur, seek medical advice.

How to Remove a Tick – Video

For a detailed step-by-step guide on how to remove a tick, watch the video:

How to remove a tick – YouTube video

Conclusions

Knowing how to remove a tick makes it easy to do at home, whether the victim is a human or a pet, such as a dog. The key is to remove the tick as soon as possible without crushing its body. After removal, disinfect the bite area and monitor it.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Remove a Tick

How to remove a tick properly – pull or twist?

There is no definitive answer to this. Different doctors recommend different methods. If you’re using a special tick removal tool – twist. In other cases, act in a way that minimizes the risk of crushing the tick.

How to remove a tick completely, including its mouthparts?

The most effective tools for removal are those available at the pharmacy. However, even they do not guarantee 100% success. Any parts left in the skin can be extracted with a sterile needle or tweezers.

How to best treat the wound after removing a tick?

Any disinfectant you have on hand will work – alcohol, chlorhexidine, antiseptic, iodine solution, etc.

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