Mary Allen
Once the little tick beast has bitten itself, good advice is usually not expensive. Tick tweezers, tick hooks, or tick cards can usually be purchased in specialist shops for a few euros. But how to deal with it properly?
Twist or Pull?
First of all, there is no one way to remove a tick. Everyone has their own technique. However, most dog owners turn the tick out. But does that really make sense?
Yes and no.
Removal of the tick
Tick-biting tools have many barbs but no threads. Therefore, one would think that turning would have no effect. However, many experiments have shown that turning the tick causes it to let go of its own accord. Therefore, ticks can also be twisted out. However, as with any other technique, the following applies here: Start as far forward as possible and work SLOWLY.
The following tools are available to the affected person to remove the tick:
- tick tongs
- tweezers
- tick hook
- tick card
The tick should therefore be grabbed as far forward as possible, directly on the dog’s skin, and then turned very slowly with as little traction as possible. This encourages her to let go of her own accord.
But in addition to the turning method, there is also the “normal” pulling method. For example, the tick is grabbed as far forward as possible with tick tweezers, the tick hook, a tick card, or a tick snare and pulled straight up. You should avoid pulling too quickly and too jerkily, as the piercing tool can tear off and remain in the skin. The same applies here: work slowly and carefully.
However, the following applies to all methods: DO NOT PRESS the tick (i.e. the body of the tick)! The tick can “vomit” into the puncture wound it has created and thus transmit the pathogens it may be carrying to the host (i.e. our dog). Equally important is the earliest possible removal of the tick, because the longer it is in the dog’s skin, the more likely it is that any pathogens that may be present will be transmitted.
Tick head stayed in – what now?
If the tick head remains in the wound, then the risk of local infection or inflammation of the bite site from the foreign body is of course higher than with a clean wound. It is therefore particularly important to disinfect and monitor the wound well. As a rule, the dog’s body repels the tick head or the biting tool by itself. Only if this process does not work should a veterinarian look at the wound and treat it if necessary.
Important: If the grooving tool gets stuck – do not poke around in it and try desperately to get the part out yourself. In doing so, you only enlarge the wound and possibly contaminate it, which then entails a significantly increased risk of infection.
Tick head stuck in the dog’s skin
If the head cannot be removed, simply leave it in place. Over time, the foreign body will be shed of its own accord, much like a splinter of wood, and will grow out again. During this time, the skin around the affected area may become slightly inflamed.
What happens if the tick head gets stuck in a dog?
If you discover that a tick’s head is stuck, try using a narrow, smooth object to pry the tick’s head off the skin. To do this, it is best to take a small credit card or your fingernail and try to detach the head of the tick from the skin when you run over it.
When does a tick head fall off?
If you see 3 short mandibles on the head, you have completely removed the tick. However, it can also happen that parts of the head get stuck in the skin. That’s not bad! You don’t even have to remove these parts.
What do I do if my dog won’t have the tick removed?
If the tick still cannot be removed properly, use a tick hook and not tick tweezers. You simply push this special hook under the tick and can then twist it out. Small ticks can usually be removed with a tick hook.
Should you remove ticks from dogs?
If you discover a tick on your dog, remove it as soon as possible. It is best to remove them before tick bites. But even if the tick has attached itself, it is not too late. There are various tools that will make it easier for you to pull them out.
When to go to the vet after a tick bite?
If your animal shows signs of illness such as fever, loss of appetite, or fatigue after a tick bite, you should definitely consult a veterinarian. It could be a tick-borne disease like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, or babesiosis.
What happens if you don’t completely remove a tick?
It happens again and again that the tick is not completely caught and parts of the animal remain in the skin. No panic! Most of the time these are just remnants of the biting apparatus, not the head of the tick. Over time, the body often expels foreign bodies on its own.
Can the tick move without a head?
If you just tear off the body with the blood vessel and leave the head of the animal on the body, the tick may not be dead. Contrary to many false claims, it cannot grow back.