Removing Ticks on Dogs under Skin

You need to use the correct technique to remove ticks on dogs, particularly if they're attached firmly to the dog's skin. Ticks are parasites that are known to transmit several diseases by becoming attached to the dog's body and sucking on blood. Over the years, several manufacturers have been formulating products that kill adult fleas and ticks on the pet's body. Some of these products are flea and tick dips, while others are topical solutions that have to be applied to the pet's body once a month. Although these products work effectively, you will have to manually remove both live and dead ticks from the dog's body during his routine grooming procedure.

Removing Ticks

Ticks vary in size and the head of the tick is generally buried under the pet's skin. You thus need to exert caution when you pull out the tick, so that you don't leave its head in your pet's body. If you don't use the right technique to remove ticks from the dog's body you might also end up hurting your pet. Since most pets don't like the tick removal process, you need to keep a few dog treats handy and approach the pet when he is calm or relaxed. You also will need a pair of tweezers, cotton swabs, mineral oil and some antiseptic cream or ointment at hand. It's a good idea to wear latex gloves during the tick removal process, to reduce the risk of contamination.

Technique for Tick Removal

Soak a cotton swab in mineral oil and hold it over the tick for a few minutes. You will then have to use the tweezers to grasp the tick. Make sure you get as close to the dog's skin as possible and carefully pull out the parasite in a steady and gentle manner. Once this is done, dispose of the tick in an appropriate manner so that it doesn't contaminate your surroundings. The best method of elimination is to use a paper napkin and tweezers to smash the parasite. You should make sure that you don't touch ticks or fleas with your bare hands, as you stand a chance of contracting infections. Wipe the affected area on the dog's body with a clean cotton swab and apply an antiseptic ointment to kill bacteria.

Tips for Pet Owners

Since each pet responds differently to medications, you should work with your vet to determine which flea medication is suited to your dog. Although most over the counter tick preventive products don't require a prescription, you must conduct a vet check before administering any flea or tick medication to your dog. If you have more than one dog living in your house, it may be necessary to treat all pets, even if only one dog has acquired a flea infection. Read and follow package instructions listed on commercial products so that you don't overdose the pet.

Commercially Available Tick Medicines Include:

Apart from using flea medication, you should spray your outdoor areas with pet friendly pesticides like horticultural oil or dormant oil to reduce the flea and tick population in your surroundings.

 

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