Ticks are common external parasites that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles. They can transmit a variety of diseases, such as babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease, among others. To safeguard your dog’s health and prevent the spread of diseases, it’s crucial to remove ticks safely.
Materials:
- Tick removal tweezers (optional) / Tweezers for eyebrows
- Isopropyl alcohol or Disinfectant and Cotton
- Disposable gloves (optional)
- Container for discarding the tick
¿How to Remove Ticks?
- First, you should check your dog to locate where the tick is on your pet’s body.
- After locating the tick, if you have gloves, put them on, disinfect the area, and grab the tweezers.
- With the help of someone holding your pet or alone, carefully grab the tick by the head as close to the dog’s skin as possible and remove it firmly without crushing it.
- Disinfect the area again and place the tick in the container for disposal or flush it down the toilet to drown it.
Disadvantages of Improper Tick Removal:
- If the tick breaks during extraction or is not completely removed, part of it may remain embedded in the host’s skin. This can cause localized irritation and even infection at the bite site.
- Diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, among others.
- Tick saliva can cause allergic reactions in the host, increasing the risk of an allergic reaction.
- If the tick is removed forcefully or with improper tools, it could damage the host’s skin, causing irritation, abrasions, or skin lesions.