How to remove a tick from your pet

#MiddleburyCT #Dogs #Ticks

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: While checking my little Terrier, Fritz, after a walk, I found one small tick just hanging on his fur. I don’t know what I would have done if it had attached itself to his skin. What’s the procedure? Should I rush him to the vet if a tick attaches itself? – Carla in Albany, New York

DEAR CARLA: Excellent work in checking Fritz’s coat right away after your walk! Ticks are so common now that it’s important to check after every outdoor foray, even if your dog never leaves the sidewalk. A tick check is a fast way to make sure – just by running your hand along your pet’s coat, down and then up.

You do not need to rush your dog to the vet for an embedded tick. You can remove it yourself. Here’s how:

• Grab a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass. If you have surgical gloves and a tick remover tool, even better.
• Have another person hold your dog still while you locate the embedded tick.
• Carefully grasp the tick with the tweezers as close to the dog’s skin as possible, near its head.
• Slowly, steadily pull the tick out. Don’t jerk. Place the tick into a plastic bag with a little isopropyl alcohol.
• Clean the dog’s skin with a dab of isopropyl alcohol and apply antibiotic ointment.

After removing the tick, monitor your dog for a few days and keep an eye on the bite area to make sure an infection doesn’t develop. If you notice changes in his behavior, signs of illness or the bite area gets infected, then it’s time to see the vet, and bring the tick along in a plastic bag.

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