how do i get a tick off of my dog...its body is halfway under his skin... not just the head?

Question

yea... my sis was rubbing our dog's belly, and found a tick. half of its body is under the skin (not just the head), and i dont want to hurt him, but i dont know what todo. PLEASE HELP. its a lonestar tick, female. http://www.wmoem.org/images/tick.jpg <--pic

he is freaking out, and wont let me anywhere near his belly... i cant hold him down and remove the tick at the same time. he's a 70-75 pound australian shepherd, and hes really strong, and energetic. I put oil on it(smother) and attempted to use the tweezers, but its not working. his head is embedded inside of his belly button scar thing...and everytime i pull he winces in pain.

Answer 1

This site tells you how:

http://www.umass.edu/tick/remove_a_tick.html

OR:

The best way to remove a tick is to "smother it". This can be done by covering the tick with a thick gel or petroleum jelly, or by placing the animal in water (covering the whole tick). Leave the tick covered for about 10 minutes (to ensure that he pulls his head out) then just pull the tick off. Pinch the tick as close to the skin of the animal as possible when removing. You may see some blood as a result of removing the tick. This may be from the tick (if the tick is ruptured during removal) or from the animal. The bleeding should not be very bad and should stop quickly.
http://www.weeno.com/art/1199/186.html

Answer 2

The new, accepted, way to dislodge that tick is to go at it with sterilized tweezers. Assuming you have tweezers handy, swab them with alcohol or at the very least sterilize them over a flame. You will also want to try to swab the bite area with alcohol, but don’t smother the tick. AFTER the tweezers cool down, go at the tick more from the side, than the top.

Try to get the tweezers between the skin and the tick's jaws, and gently pull, maybe moving the tweezer a little with a side-to-side motion if it isn’t budging. The main ingredient here is patience. A steady pull over a few minutes time, will usually tire out the tick enough to release its grip. Be gentle, yet firm. You don’t want to yank the tick’s body from his head and create a bigger problem. There are opposing opinions on what to do if this does happen.

Some folks believe that you should pick the mouth parts out like a splinter, some say leave it in and your body will expel them on its own. If this does happen, I would suggest keeping the area clean and calling your vet for further instructions.

Answer 3

The safest was is to put Vaseline kind of thick on the tick and the area around the tick and soon it will back it self out. Your going to have to keep the dog with you and down to do this. It may take a while. Or you could just wash the area where the tick is and then get tweezers and get right down next to the skin and gently but firmly pull the tick out and put some anitbiotic cream on the area where the tick was. The sooner you get the tick out the better..
Get rid of the tick, I flush them down the toilet!

Answer 4

The best way to go about this problem is to take your dog into a vet to have the whole body completely removed. They will also cleans the area which has been opened to infection by the tick, and perform a thorough check for any others that you may have missed.

The second part is that they can prescribe your dog a medication like Advantex which will kill fleas, ticks, and other vectors which will try to attack your dog. The vet should also make sure your dog is up to date on his vaccinations, because ticks and other biting insects can transmit some very nasty diseases that can be prevented by using flea and tick control.

-RVT

Answer 5

Go to vet - don't risk you or dog getting serious infection. This is a Lyme disease carrying tick!
You might want to kill it to avoid it from keep on hurting dog before you can get him to vet by spraying the tick with Hartz 2 in 1 Flea & Tick Dog Spary. Follow instructions carefully. My dog hasn't had that problem yours has but had a serious "crowd" of fleas and ticks and this spray applied as directed worked wonders. Also, remember that if you do not keep your home and the area you keep your dog clean and flea & tick free, problem will be recurring...for that I use another spray for Hartz which is especifically made to spray rugs, furniture, home.
Good luck!

Answer 6

I don't know because it's so far in. I've removed ticks before, but none that have been that far under the skin. If you do get it out without the vet's help make sure to keep it. Put in a jar with some rubbing alcohol to kill it and either bring it in to be tested, or hang onto it in case your dog gets sick...then it can be tested.

Answer 7

If what you say is true [ why in heavens name didn't take the dog to the vet] Ticks cause infections that are harmful to dogs

If you have no way of getting to the vet then call him and ask him what is the best way to remove it without hurting the animal. Also he can tell you how to settle you pet down while you are pulling the tick out.

Answer 8

FOUND INFO: For removing from Humans, I see no difference with a pet.

Los Angeles County West Vector & Vector-Borne Disease Control District
Tick Removal

What is the best way to remove a tick?


To remove attached ticks, use the following procedure:
1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or rubber gloves.

2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. (If this happens, remove mouthparts with tweezers. Consult your healthcare provider if infection occurs.)


3. Do not squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids (saliva, hemolymph, gut contents) may contain infectious organisms.

4. Do not handle the tick with bare hands because infectious agents may enter through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. This precaution is particularly directed to individuals who remove ticks from domestic animals with unprotected fingers. Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised persons may be at greater risk of infection and should avoid this procedure.

5. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.

6. You may wish to save the tick for identification in case you become ill within 2 to 3 weeks. Your doctor can use the information to assist in making an accurate diagnosis. Place the tick, along with several blades of grass, into a small container (e.g. a clean screw-cap pill bottle or a zip-lock bag) for later examination. Write the date of the bite on a piece of paper with a pencil and place it in the bag.

Note: Folklore remedies such as petroleum jelly or hot matches do little to encourage a tick to detach from skin. In fact, they may make matters worse by irritating the tick and stimulating it to release additional saliva, increasing the chances of transmitting the pathogen. These methods of tick removal should be avoided. In addition, a number of tick removal devices have been marketed, but none are better than a plain set of fine tipped tweezers.

Answer 9

Ok I volunteered 3 years at the animal protection league and I had to hell out with things like this you don't want to leave the rest of the body of the tick inside the dog if you tweeze it out so your better off taking him to the vets and making sure it gets done right and they can give you some hints on how to prevent them and whats the best treatments but I don't recommend you do it your self

Answer 10

Heat up a needle to hot and place it on the belly of the tick, it will back itself out. Normally you would light a flighter or match stick, but since it is on the belly of the dog, not a good idea.