Part 1 finding ticks
1. Know how to identify if it’s a tick
Ticks come in a variety of shapes and sizes some are very small flea sized specimens some are massive and easier to spot. Ticks are generally speaking oval in shape and black or dark brown. Ticks enjoy tall grass so will probably be well hidden if you have a long haired canine.
2. Gather your equipment
Make sure you have everything you need ready as once you find the tick you will want to get it off your dog immediately.
You will need
- A pair of fine tipped tweezers
- A jar filled with alcohol
For long haired dogs or dogs with thick or curly hair} fine toothed comb
3. Make sure your dog is relaxed and happy
Your animal is bound to be a bit anxious or grumpy it has a big parasite feeding off it. So you should give your dog a treat or two or give it a toy it likes to chew on. Also give you pet your love and affection and support it.
4. Searching your dog for ticks
You should check your dog in all the areas highlighted whenever he has been in areas known to attract ticks such as long grass in the garden or a hiking trail or the forest/woods. Begin at the top of your dog’s back and proceed down each side towards his chest and belly.you should feel for any small bumps with your hands and look for dark oval bumps with your eyes.
5. using the fine tooth comb if your dog has thick or curly hair
if your dog’s hair is curly or thick and you are having a hard time parting it you can use the fine tooth comb to part the fur and thoroughly search for ticks you can also use a hairdryer on cool to part the hair be aware this won’t work on all dogs though as many dogs are afraid of hairdryers and the noise they make.
Part 2- removing the ticks
1. Keep the hair separated
you need to keep the hair separated where the tick is so that your don’t lose sight of it again once you have found it you must be careful during these next steps if you pull a tick off incorrectly its head remains stuck in your pet and can cause infection and disease.
2. Using your tweezers to remove the tick
Always grab the tick by the head and mouth area never the body if you grab a tick by the body the body will fall off and the head will remain in your pet potentially infecting it. So grab the tick by the head with your tweezers and remove it. Never use your fingers to remove the tick if you use bare fingers to try and remove the tick you could catch any diseases it has been carrying such as Lyme disease. If you do not use the tweezers wear gloves.
3. Place the tick in alcohol
Now place the tick in the jar of alcohol this is the cleanest way to kill ticks. The tick may move around for a little while don’t mind this it will move around for a while until it dies. Make sure it can’t escape the alcohol jar and that it is trapped.
4. Repeat steps until all ticks are removed
Now repeat the above steps until all ticks are removed depending on where your dog has been playing he could have anywhere from one tick to forty. So be meticulous and really search your dog especially if it is a longer haired breed.
5. Rub some disinfectant on the site
A great way to prevent infection is to rub some disinfectant on the site that was infected by the tick antibiotic ointment would work well for this.
Part 3 tick proofing
1. Discard the ticks
once all the ticks have been removed from your dog when you are sure they are all fully submerged in the jar of alcohol put the lid on the jar and leave them in there for a day or so, when you are sure they are all dead bury them in the ground or throw them in an outdoor trash can. If you want to you can save some in a plastic bag if you have to take you pet to the vet to check for disease you can take the tick samples with you which would aid the vet in treating any possible disease. Take your pet to the vet after tick removal to look for disease especially Lyme disease which some ticks carry.
Tips
- keep your grass below ankle height
- avoid wooded areas and long grass where ticks are waiting
- When out and about make sure your pet sticks to trails and is in your sight.