How to Check for & Remove Ticks

Well, chances are if you've landed on this page, you probably missed the most important part of dealing with ticks: How to Prevent Ticks- and you've probably just got back from a place where ticks love to live.

Here is how you identify, locate and remove ticks from your furry family member.

Identify a Tick problem

Ticks like warm damp places between the toes, along the groin and especially in the ear canal. So if your dog is shaking his head or gets lethargic, you need to check for ticks.

The #1 way to know if your dog has ticks? If you see one inside your home! Don't treat the appearance of ticks as a "one off" thing ticks are like roaches, if there's one, there are probably more.

The best way to be sure you and your dog are tick-free is to do a full body tick-check. 

Looking for toys to keep your furry family member occupied? Look no further, they are here.

Locate the Ticks 

The most important thing you need to know when locating ticks on your pet (or yourself even) is this: ticks are SMALL.

Make sure you cover your dog's entire body, including between the toes, around the groin and especially around your dog's ears. Using your fingers like the teeth of a comb, go over your dog's entire coat and feel for a "pea-sized" bump that could be a tick.

A good way to insure you've covered your dog's entire body? Start at the head and work in sections back towards the tail and then down the legs.

How to Remove Ticks from your Dog? 

You need to get the entire body (including the sometimes embedded head) out of your dog's flesh. If you don't, you risk infection and worse.

So how do you do that? Carefully, using tweezers or a special tick tool, get as close to your dog's flesh as possible by parting the hair. Then grab the tick firmly (but gently!!!) and pull straight back.

Try not to squeeze the abdomen of the bug as you could rip it and spray blood everywhere- or leave the tick's head embedded in your dog's body both of those things are a no-no.

And if your dog doesn't want to stand for a tick inspection? Get them these treats and trick them while you check them. 

DO NOT DO THIS WITH TICK REMOVAL

Internet advice: "Pour kerosene on the tick it will back right out." "Light a match and blow it out place the hot head on the tick-head- that'll get him out!"

North 40 Advice: "Don't do that."

Why? Ticks will actually regurgitate poisonous fluids back through their mouths- which is buried in your flesh or in the flesh of your dog- injecting kerosene or WD40 is never a good idea.

Follow the steps above, or watch the video below- and as always, if you have any questions, get a hold of us here in the comments or contact your local veterinarian for answers.

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