How to Remove a Tick from Your Pet

In most cases ticks must be attached and feeding for at least 10 hours before they can transmit diseases to cats or dogs, and through prompt tick removal pet owners can prevent or reduce their pet’s risks of contracting tick-borne diseases. To help protect your pet – and yourself - from tick-borne diseases, follow these helpful steps on how to remove a tick from your pet.

Pet Tick Removal

You will need a pair of forceps and gloves to protect your hands – while the risk is slight, there is a possibility of becoming infected with a tick-borne disease if an open wound comes into contact with any of the tick’s blood.

The best types of forceps will be large enough to fit your fingers and should have a rounded square end – your local veterinarian will help you to choose the right pair of tick removal forceps and may order forceps, and gloves, for you if needed. If you do not have any gloves when you need to remove a tick, use a piece of tissue to protect your hands from coming into direct contact with the tick.

Pet Tick Check

If your pet has been in an area that harbors ticks, or you have found a tick on your pet, perform a thorough tick check to make sure you have located all the ticks on your pet.

Part your pet’s hair and check all along your pet’s back, sides and stomach region. Pay particular attention to areas on your pet where ticks often hide: between the toes, under the arms, around the groin area, around the neck area, in the ears and around the base of the tail.

Removing Ticks from Your Pet

Use the forceps and gently grasp the tick by the base of its head or the region closest to your pet’s skin. Then using gentle pressure, slowly pull back. As you apply consistent but gentle pressure, the tick will start to back out. Once the tick has come out, use the forceps to crush the ticks head and then dispose of the tick.

Never use chemicals such as oil, gas or alcohol to remove a tick from your pet – these substances are hazardous to your pet and they have no effect on ticks.

If the tick is cut in two while you are trying to remove it and the head is left in your pet's skin, clean the area thoroughly with soap and water. Most of the time, the head will dissolve on its own without causing any problems – do not try to dig the head out as this can cause an infection in your pet’s skin.

When to See Your Veterinarian about Ticks

If you cannot remove a tick from your pet, than take your pet to a veterinarian and the doctor or a technician will remove the tick. Some pets are also allergic to tick bites, or in some cases the tick bite can become infected; if your pet has developed a reaction to a tick bite, or the bite is beginning to look infected, see your veterinarian as soon as possible.