You are stroking your dog after a walk and feel a small, hard lump that wasn’t there this morning. You part the fur and find a grey bead with legs. The instinct is to pull it off fast. Wait a moment — how you remove it matters.
What you need
A tick removal tool (a small forked hook or fine-tipped tweezers), gloves if you have them, and antiseptic.
How to remove a tick
- Part the fur so you can see where the tick’s head enters the skin.
- Slide the hook under the tick as close to the skin as possible, or grip the head — not the body — with fine tweezers.
- Twist gently or lift steadily, following the instructions for your tool, until the tick lets go.
- Check the tick is complete, then clean the bite.
- Dispose of the tick by sealing it in tape or a container. If your pet becomes ill in the following weeks, your vet may want to know what kind it was.
Don’t squeeze the tick’s body, burn it, or cover it with petroleum jelly, alcohol or oil. These can make the tick regurgitate into the bite and increase the risk of infection.
If the head stays in
A small dark fragment sometimes stays behind. Usually the body pushes it out over a few days, like a splinter. Keep the area clean. If it becomes swollen, hot or painful, see your vet.
Diseases ticks can carry
Which diseases matter depends on where you live and travel:
- Lyme disease — lameness that moves from leg to leg, fever and lethargy in dogs.
- Babesiosis — destroys red blood cells; pale gums, weakness and dark urine.
- Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis — fever, lethargy, joint pain and bleeding problems.
Most ticks need to feed for many hours before passing on infection, which is why checking your pet daily and removing ticks promptly makes such a difference.
Prevention
- Check your pet all over after walks in long grass, woodland and moorland, paying attention to the head, ears, armpits and between the toes.
- Use a tick preventive recommended by your vet during tick season — all year in many areas.
- If you travel abroad with your pet, ask your vet about the diseases where you are going.
And if you find more ticks than you can count, or your pet seems unwell after a bite, let your vet do the job.
Questions owners ask
Can I use my fingers to remove a tick?
Fingers tend to squeeze the tick’s body, which can push infected fluids into the bite. A tick hook or fine-tipped tweezers is much safer.
How long does a tick need to be attached to spread disease?
It depends on the disease, but many infections need the tick to feed for 24 hours or more. That is why daily checks after walks are so effective.
Should I get my dog tested after a tick bite?
Not routinely. Watch your dog for lameness, fever, lethargy or loss of appetite over the following weeks and tell your vet about the bite if they seem unwell.
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