Detecting and Removing Ticks on Dogs

While walking in the park where you and your dog can have some shade, you figured that was safe and healthy for both of you but on the way home, you suddenly see a dark blotch the size of a sesame seed and somehow, you noticed it was hard to remove. You should now see that your dog got the tick. This parasite feeds on animal and human blood and it carries potential disease.

As many myths as there in removing ticks on dogs like using irritants such as match, cigarette or alcohol, they are not helpful at all. They will instead end up with the tick depositing more of their saliva that contains bacteria.

In removing a tick, you will need the aid of a fine-tipped set of tweezers. There are a lot of pet stores that sells removal instruments coming in a variety of unique designs but tweezers will be better to use. You have to be able to grasp the mouth and the head parts, the area where they have entered the skin without crushing the tick's body.

Have someone else present to help you calm the pet while you use the tweezers to remove the tick. Be sure to grasp the head and gently pull back without jerking and twisting. Just keep still and steady. Avoid having to crush the tick's body because the contents may cause contamination on whatever they touch. This is a reason why you are advised to wear a pair of gloves.

For more serious tick "cases", and of course, for you to be able to prevent it coming any near your pet, veterinarians recommend the use of Frontline Plus for dogs. Ticks on dogs that have already attached themselves will be killed and what's more, it will keep some more of the parasite from attaching. Sometimes though, even when you use Frontline Plus, ticks on dogs that may appear to have been killed may still manage to attach and the removal of those will need the few steps that had been mentioned. There are about three types of Frontline Plus.

Once you're able to remove the tick, you may need to place it in rubbing alcohol for it to be killed. You see, it will not die by merely being flushed in water and it is really important to have it disposed otherwise, it may infest on someone else, if not their pet. As for the irritation, use hydrocortisone spray on the spot. That area on your pert may take some time to heal completely or it may remain as a permanent hairless spot.

After that, you may not feel the need to check for ticks on dogs. Once one is found, there is a possibility that there could be more and you do not want to miss one. Just remember to let your fingers rub through your dog's coat and you'll know if there's one when you feel those familiar hard bumps that couldn't come from anything else.