Dog tick removal

Ticks are parasites that cause serious illnesses and health problems in dogs and humans alike.

To prevent your four-legged friend from falling prey to these dangerous little parasites, the best thing to do is to give him an effective antiparasitic treatment according to the schedule established by your veterinarian.

However, not all antiparasitics are infallible, and it can happen that you find a tick on the back of a treated dog, especially after a walk in the forest, an environment where these creatures proliferate. No need to panic! In this case, it is simply necessary to remove the parasite quickly, a simple exercise, but one that requires a certain amount of skill.

 

What is a dog tick?

Ticks are external parasites of the mite family, with the scientific name of Ixodida, which can infect all vertebrates (including birds and reptiles). The tick is an obligate parasite, which means that it needs a host to survive, especially in the last stage of its life (adult).

The head of the tick is extended by a rostrum, a kind of hard spur that it plants through the skin of its host to access its blood, which it feeds on. Once anchored on the back of the host, in this case the dog, the tick is not only well attached, but is also likely to transmit potentially serious diseases and cause allergic reactions due to its saliva.

The largest ticks are females and are usually the first to be spotted on a dog's back, especially when they are gorged with blood and become particularly prominent.

 

 

 

Why remove ticks from a dog?

Ticks can transmit serious and incurable diseases to humans and dogs. If Lyme disease is the best known of all, it is unfortunately not the only pathology that this parasite can transmit to our dogs. Other diseases that ticks carry include piroplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, which can lead to the rapid death of the animal if not treated urgently.

The risk of disease transmission from tick to dog increases the longer the parasite is on the animal's back - infections usually occur within 24 hours of the bite. So the sooner the tick is removed, the more the risk is minimized.

In fact, it is essential to carefully examine your dog's coat, especially after a walk, to make sure that there are no parasites and, if there are, to act as soon as possible. It is among other things to identify the presence of ticks that brushing and grooming your dog are so important steps.

 

 

How to remove a tick from your dog ?

Removing a tick from your dog is not something you can improvise, it's an art. Indeed, there is an important risk of bursting the parasite when pulling it from its host, which significantly increases the risk of infection.

To proceed correctly to the extraction of a tick, it is therefore necessary to have the right tool and to adopt the right technique, in order to remove the parasite in its entirety and to avoid that its blood mixes with that of your dog.

Equipment to remove a tick from your dog: the tick puller
The tick puller is a small tool specifically designed to remove a tick from a dog's skin without bursting it, cutting its rostrum or squeezing it, which would push the fluids it contains towards the dog. This small accessory is presented in the form of a spatula with a flat, curved end and a slit that allows the tick's rostrum to be surrounded without letting the body of the tick pass through.

The tick puller can be compared to a tiny crowbar, and the parasite to a nail with the rostrum as the tip and the body as the head. There are different types of bug zappers, more or less big, made of plastic or metal, and more or less ergonomic. You can easily find these small accessories for cheap in pharmacies, veterinarians, pet shops and even in some supermarkets.

Technique to remove a tick from your dog: pull and twist
With the right tool in hand, removing a tick is almost child's play. Once the parasite is well positioned at the end of the tick remover, you just have to pull gently while turning the accessory on itself (like a corkscrew). The rotation movement is essential to remove the rostrum from the dog's skin. As the rostrum is firmly anchored in the dog's dermis, pulling without turning could tear off the body of the tick, leaving its head in place.

By making a rotation movement, the rostrum loses its roughness and detaches itself without a hitch. It is sometimes necessary to make up to two or three complete turns for the tick to detach properly. It is important to note that the tick bite site should not be disinfected before removing the tick, as contact between the parasite and a disinfecting agent may result in regurgitation of contaminated substances into the dog's body. On the other hand, it is important to disinfect the bite once the parasite is removed.

The use of tweezers is to be avoided to remove a tick from your dog, as this tool may break the parasite or squeeze it, thus increasing the risk of infection. Finally, if the rostrum breaks off during the operation and you find yourself with a decapitated tick, whose head has remained anchored in the dog's body, do not worry too much.

When only the rostrum remains, the risk of contamination is minimal, as the infectious agents are rather located in the abdomen of the parasite. However, the site of the bite where the rostrum remains is likely to become infected, so it is necessary to monitor it closely and, if you observe the slightest sign of infection (redness, swelling, sensitivity, oozing, etc.), present your dog to a veterinarian without delay.

 

FAQ

My dog has a tick, should I remove it?
Yes, if you find a tick on your dog's back, it is important to remove it as soon as possible to minimize the risks of contamination. Ticks are indeed vectors of serious diseases, in all vertebrates. The earlier a tick is removed, the lower the risk of contracting Lyme disease, piroplasmosis or ehrlichiosis.

Is it necessary to turn to remove a tick from a dog?
Yes, it is important to turn the tick on itself while pulling to remove it in its entirety. Without this maneuver, the head of the tick (the rostrum) may break off and remain embedded in your dog's skin.

What are the risks of an improperly removed tick for my dog?
When a tick is removed too suddenly, its rostrum may break off and remain in the dog's skin. It is then impossible to remove it. There is also a risk of splitting the tick and/or pressing on it - especially when trying to remove it with tweezers - which increases the risk of contamination, as the tick can then release contaminated fluids into the dog's body.

Can I remove a tick from my dog with tweezers?
It is possible to remove a tick with tweezers, but it is a risky operation that is not recommended. Indeed, the tweezers tend to press on the tick, risking to make it regurgitate its different fluids into the dog's body, which significantly increases the risks of contamination.

It is much easier and safer to proceed with a specially designed tool, the tick puller, which can be easily found in stores. In case you discover a tick on your dog's back, the best thing to do is to remove it as soon as possible to minimize the risk of it transmitting serious diseases to your pet.

To do this, it is highly recommended to use a tick remover, an accessory that should be part of your dog's first aid kit. This is because ticks can easily catch you off guard and attack a dog even though it has been treated with an anti-parasite medication - although this is fortunately quite rare.

If, when the time comes, you don't dare approach the tick that has settled on your dog's back, don't hesitate to call your veterinarian or a friend or family member who is more comfortable with this exercise: it is important to act quickly, and the tick won't go away by itself anyway.