How to remove a tick from a dog

Dog Tick Removal

Have you ever tried to remove a tick from your dog, cat, or even yourself? Did you try to remove the tick by grabbing and yanking it off? Maybe you grabbed a bottle of alcohol and tried to smother it or even burn it to make it turn loose. These methods of tick removal are not effective. They can even do more harm than good.

When you find a tick on your pet or yourself it should be removed as quickly as possible. However, there are correct and safe ways of ticks removal without risking further exposure to the tick's saliva, which is infested with disease.

What are Ticks?

Contrary to popular belief, ticks are not insects. They are disgusting little mites who live only to suck the blood of their host. Any warm-blooded creature will do; ticks are not selective.

There are many different types, sizes and colors of ticks, which make it very easy for them to blend in with your pet's fur or your own hair, for that matter. Weighing virtually nothing, ticks navigate the body undetected until they attach and begin to feast upon a blood meal. Some ticks such as the deer tick are so small you can barely see them until they have fed and started to swell.

What to Do and What Not to do When Removing Ticks:

Do:

·   Use rubber gloves to avoid direct contact with the tick
·   Use tweezers to remove the tick
·   Use an all-natural flea and tick control (see below for my recommendation for dog ticks), which will kill the tick on contact without the use of any chemicals or harmful additives

Don't:

·   Grab a tick bare handed
·   Squeeze the tick's body when removing
·   Twist or wiggle the tick
·   Try to smother the tick with alcohol or Vaseline
·   Attempt to kill the tick using a match or other devise for burning
·   Drown your pet in harmful, chemical-based flea and tick killers

The Correct and Safe Way to Remove a Tick

Because ticks carry infectious diseases, it is important to have the proper tools handy prior to attempting to remove a tick. Items you should have include:

* rubber gloves
* fine tipped tweezers
* a cotton swab
* alcohol
* soap
* water

With these items at hand, the proper way to remove a tick is:

1. Put on rubber gloves. If you have an all natural tick killer such as TripleSure, spray the tick, which will kill it on contact. Do not use a match, Vaseline or alcohol in an attempt to kill the tick.

2. Firmly grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible using fine-tipped tweezers.

3. Remove tick: Pull the tick straight backwards to remove it. Do not use too much pressure or a twisting motion or you may inject more of the tick's saliva into the bloodstream which will increase the chance of an infection.

4.  Once you have removed the tick, kill it using alcohol if it is not already dead. Make sure the tick is disposed of in the garbage or by flushing it down the toilet.

5. Clean the site of the tick bite after removing tick with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. Then clean it again with soap and water.

Prevention

There are dozens of products on the market to help combat dogs ticks infestation. Most of these products, however, are heavy laden with chemicals, and they easily penetrate your pet's skin causing potentially serious side effects and health problems. When looking for a reliable yet safe product, be sure to choose one that is all natural and chemical free. 

Ticks are carriers of disease. Dogs are highly susceptible to canine Lyme disease in particular and, without proper treatment, can suffer devastating effects to their overall health including heart, joint and neurological problems.

Humans can also become infected with Lyme disease and suffer serious and sometimes irreversible effects if left untreated. Although pets do not directly infect humans, the ticks they carry can. By moving from the pet to their human owners, ticks can subsequently bite and infect humans with disease. Remember to do regular checks and remove tick immediately from your pets as well as yourself to safeguard against potential illness and avoid unwanted guests.

To Sum Up

A dog tick can be an annoyance or a real health threat for your dog. You must remove ticks from your dog as soon as possible. Removing ticks from dogs is not as difficult as it may seem, if you do it right. Tick bites need not be dangerous, but you should really learn how to remove ticks from your dog. Removing ticks from dogs can be easy.
 

I really do highly recommend this product. Using a natural product like this is best in how to get rid of ticks, how to remove a tick from a dog, or if there are several, remove ticks from dogs, and even killing ticks on contact.