We never had any ticks in Southern California, even on the hiking trails, we never had one of them hitch a ride.
But here in Northern Cal, yep, ticks. These little arachnids, are really external parasites, and quite frankly, they give me the creeps. Here’s what you need to know about ticks and how to remove a tick.
They carry diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever and other things that can make you and your dog sick. True, they can be clean, but they can be dirty.
In fact, around here, as mother Eve, I like to error on the side of caution. When the dog gets a tick, we take it off, carefully. If you get a tick, we take it off, save it in a plastic bag and watch for signs, like a red ring around that area. And, I give you an antibiotic. Yep. I do.
How to remove a tick
Here’s what I have learned from living in tick country:
To remove the tick get the tweezers, gloves and a plastic bag.
First, have someone help you keep the dog calm and still. Put those skin-tight gloves on. Next, holding back the fur, use the tweezers to to grab the tick at the base of the dog’s skin — right where the tick’s head is attached to the skin. Remember, if you grab the body that is full of blood it might break open and create a nasty little mess. Gently wiggle the tweezers while pinched on the tick, pull slightly to remove the entire creepy critter.
With the tick removed, drop it into a plastic zip bag and close it tightly. It will live in there for months. Another creepy thing about ticks. Save the bag just in case your dog shows signs of sickness. (or you or your child, heaven forbid — and not likely with that antibiotic I gave you)
This is a common tick, called the brown dog tick, which is not usually a serious threat. There are some ticks that are dangerous to both humans and dogs — and cause illness. One of the most feared is the dear tick, which can carry Lyme Disease. You can see that ticks are small, then they eat and they do not even look the same.
This is the tick before and after feeding on your dog’s blood:
(this is disgusting, look at it’s legs!)
If you notice that your dog becomes lethargic, has an intermittent fever and weakness, take him to the vet. Remember that little plastic bag with the tick? Bring that in as well. Dogs often look sad when they do not feel well, so just keep an eye on your canine.
I use that Frontline stuff for the dog, and that has helped immensely.
