P.S. If you don't need to get a tick off your pet today, that's wonderful. You are welcome to remain; however, please be courteous to those who are on the verge of a full-on, spider-phobic breakdown and hold to the rear of the viewing area. Also, while humor is encouraged, please refrain from laughing AT other, more nervous participants.
I really really really really hate pulling ticks off my pets. And I really really really really hate that the grass in the field next to our yard is taller than all of them. |
And, he's in! |
This post is sponsored by BRAVECTO® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share information about BRAVECTO. But we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Neither Intervet Inc., nor Merck & Co Inc., are responsible for the content of this article and have not written, reviewed, or edited it in any fashion. For more information about BRAVECTO please click here.
HOW TO REMOVE A LIVE, EMBEDDED TICK FROM YOUR PET (with humor)
Before you start:
- I am not a vet; however, I do have experience with successfully removing live ticks myself (vs. watching my husband do it), during the summer of 2013*. And by success, I mean they came off still alive, in one piece, did not jump on me, or bite me in the process, and I did not sustain mental or emotional trauma. If you have health-related questions beyond the scope of this blog post, please consult your pet's veterinarian.
- Get a latex glove (or a plastic grocery/sandwich/storage bag, if you don't have a glove) to keep from having to touch the nasty bug while you're removing it. Get some tweezers or one of those tick removing tools (I don't have one, but my vet sells them), and if you plan on saving the tick for your vet, a small jar filled with alcohol and a lid. If you don't plan on saving the tick, you can still kill it in the alcohol (after you get it off your pet). If you don't want to kill the tick with alcohol, alternately, you can wrap it up in some scotch tape (ew), or my favorite, flush it down the toilet.
- Take your pet into a well-lit, small room, like the bathroom, and close the door. You need to be able to contain your pet and easily see the tick you are removing. It's also a good idea not to remove a tick over carpet (in case you drop it, which you won't). OH, and having a toilet nearby is a plus. In case you need to
throw upflush the tick (as I mentioned previously) afterward. - Remember, removing a tick the correct way, in tact, is NOT physically painful (for the pet, probably the tick, nor you). You will not hurt your pet! (I have no idea whether ticks feel pain, but even if they do, you still have to do this.)
- Engorged ticks look (and feel) like giant skin tags or moles shaped like whole corn kernels**. Do not squeeze them! The germs (disease causing bacteria) they transmit can be forced into your pet, or, if the tick is already off your pet, all over YOU.
* 2013 was the year I (literally) drove up on baby Bobby Flay O'Fish (my ginger tabby cat, though, a nameless waif at the time) in the middle of a busy intersection. After miraculously capturing him in a Shoney's parking lot and getting him home, several days later (when he allowed me to handle him), I discovered several (3-5) engorged ticks on his tiny orange body. My husband was at work. What other option did I have but to free him of those vampires? The directions on Google worked like a charm! I did it for Bobby!
** Not responsible for future corn aversions.
- Take several deep breaths. Look your pet in the eye and know that you're doing them a potentially life-saving favor. Remember, YOU (not the insect) are in charge. You got this!
I let Jon Farleigh sniff the tweezers (portrayed by bamboo kitchen tongs). - Put your glove on (or stick your hand inside the plastic bag you brought) and pick up the tweezers.
- Part your pet's fur with your free hand until the tick (and skin around it) is exposed.
Note: Your eyes might burn, stomach juices churn, skin crawl, and/or heart race, as if you are being chased by the giant spider in Harry Potter. It's OK! If this happens, simply take a step back and try to think of something pleasant, like hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
- Clasp the tweezer tip (or special tool end) around the base of the tick, as close to your pet's skin as possible. (Gentle now, you do not want to squish the tick's head off!)
- Take a deep breath or two, and believe in yourself! You are a hero for your pet! A Ninja Tick-removing Warrior!
- Using firm, but even, and gentle pressure, pull straight up, away from your pet. SLOWLY! A little amount of pressure is all it takes. After a few seconds of straining to hold on with all its nasty might, the tick will unlatch, completely in tact. As soon as that happens, you'll feel a sudden give in pressure, and then you will realize you've actually got hold of a disgusting live tick, and not a giant, corn-shaped mole.
Note: DO NOT SCREAM AND FLING THE LIVE TICK ACROSS THE ROOM (because you will want to, and afterward, you might want to throw up. Please try to hold that down, as well). - With a calm and steady hand, kill the tick (dunk in alcohol, wrap in tape, or flush down the toilet, as previously mentioned). If you're saving the tick (for ID by you or a vet), screw the lid on your alcohol jar and move it to a place where there is no chance in heaven or hell it can get knocked over.
- Remove your plastic hand protection into a trash can.
- Wash the bite site on your pet, AND YOUR HANDS, with a mild soap and water.
Note: If you are going to be sick, this is the time to do it, after you've eliminated the chance of anyone being sickened by tick germs. - Praise your pet for being a good boy/girl and free him from the bathroom.
I had to give it to him; he stood still while I stuck roasted trail mix corn in his fur and took pictures!
Also, Dewi got some too. - Pat yourself on the back for being a rock star! (It's OK if you do this step and cry at the same time. Try thinking of hot doughnuts, or gooey cinnamon rolls, or chocolate chip cookies, or deep fried Moon Pies, to help stave the tears, as needed.)
- To further decompress, look at these bloopers of (my) dinguses.
IF YOU USED BRAVECTO® (Fluralaner), YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO PULL LIVE, ENGORGED TICKS OFF YOUR DOG*.
* BRAVECTO is approved for use in dogs only. Ask your veterinarian about flea and tick prevention for your cat.
* BRAVECTO is approved for use in dogs only. Ask your veterinarian about flea and tick prevention for your cat.
I slithered through the grass like a snake to get this shot. |
Haha! That's because they would die LONG before they got to the point of latched-on engorgement (which is the point at which tick-borne disease is transmitted). BRAVECTO starts killing ticks on your pet within 12 hours and continues working for up to 12 weeks* with just one (edible) dose. That's 4-5 doses per calendar year (compared to 12 with a monthly preventative).
* BRAVECTO kills fleas, prevents flea infestations, and kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks. BRAVECTO also kills lone star ticks for 8 weeks.
ALL AREAS OF THE U.S. HAVE NATIVE TICK POPULATIONS THAT TRANSMIT DISEASE; DO YOU KNOW WHAT KINDS OF TICKS LURK NEAR YOU?
I didn't (for my home state, Virginia)! But I do now, thanks to this tool: http://www.mypet.com/fleas-and-ticks/tick-identifier/
Just select your state and that's it! (Warning! There are images. Of ticks! Not to be gross, though, to help you ID any tick you might find {and get off} your pet.)
NOT ALL TICK PREVENTATIVES FOR DOGS KILL EVERY TYPE OF TICK.
BRAVECTO kills the four most common types of ticks known to transmit disease to dogs, including the black-legged (or deer) tick, that transmits Lyme disease.
DOGS DON'T HAVE TO BE FOREST DWELLERS TO GET TICKS.
Nope, they can crawl right up on a blade of grass in your yard. Directly under where your dog squats to pee. Yay! (You might recall a few months ago, *I * got a tick from walking through the vacant lot next to my house.) I use flea and tick preventative year-round, because exposing the pets to disease (and/or itchy skin and allergies and possible infestation) is not worth the risk (or horror).
Forest dwellers? No. Ground scrapers? Yes! |
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH TICKS LOCALLY? DO YOU FIND THEM ON YOUR PETS FREQUENTLY? HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO REMOVE ONE THAT WAS ALIVE AND LATCHED ON? WAS IT AWFUL?
BRAVECTO is FDA approved and available only from a veterinarian or clinic. Ask your dog's veterinarian about it today. (Locate a veterinarian or clinic that carries BRAVECTO. P.S. It's accurate; I've used it myself!)
Money-saving tip: Register at My Pet Rewards for deals, such as cash rebates!
For the latest news and promotions, follow BRAVECTO on social: Facebook | Twitter
Y'all! I didn't see any ticks (on or off critters/me) during or after the photoshoot, BUT I did see this common buckeye caterpillar on a blade of grass (while I was slithering through it). It'll turn into a beautiful buckeye butterfly (I hope)! Now this is an insect I can handle!
This buckeye butterfly caterpillar was not harmed during the shooting of images for this blog post. |
Lookie! This post is a finalist! But, I hope your pet never gets another embedded tick so you don't have to come back and read it again! (But you can for fun if you want.)
We started using Bravecto cuz of you and have had no issues since! but we do still keep a few of these handy http://www.tickedoff.com/ The easiest, painless and secure way to remove an embedded tick....and cheap too..
ReplyDeleteReally? Well, thank for telling me that, Rob, and I'm glad to hear it's been effective! ☺ Thanks for the link to the tick remover thingy, too. I, too, should probably have a couple on hand (especially since my kid keeps taking my tweezers and not returning them). Love that the Tickedoff product is made in the USA.
DeleteYikes hope we never get those pests
ReplyDeleteLily & Edward
Juneau (aka, June Bug, Bug Bug, Buggy Bug, Baby Girl, Kitten, Muffin, Pancake, etc) sometimes picks up ticks if we are down by the river. This is even using topical tick deterrent. I use a "tick key" and carry it on my key chain. Works slick, I think much easier than the tweezer method.
ReplyDeleteTICK KEY! That's the one I've seen for sale, but couldn't remember the name for. Great idea to keep that handy on walks. Ticks are so gross!
DeleteHahaha! Loved this and got quite a laugh! The corn is my favorite part. Thankfully, I've never had to pull a tick off one of my dogs but I know where to look for directions!
ReplyDeleteGood! Hope you never have to remove a tick!
DeleteLove the Dramatization of the ticks being roasted corn, but now i might not look at roasted corn thew same way again :D I love reading your posts they are always so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you! ☺ Remember, though, I cannot be responsible for a future corn aversion. hehe
DeleteTicks are serious business ... but you had us laughing the entire time. Great information :)
ReplyDeleteHumor is the best for gross necessities in life. ;)
DeletePhotos are hilariously awesome. Great info. Ticks are disgusting! I work at an animal hospital so we use Frontline, Nexgard and/or Simparica. But I know Bravecto is one that has been around forever as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks; I enjoy my pics. :) BRAVECTO was introduced to market in 2014. I hadn't heard of it, though, until this spring, because I never asked my vet about new products). I love that it's edible and last SO long compared to the topicals.
DeleteI've only ever had to remove one tick off Mr. N and it was like an hour after he got it so it wasn't engorged. I found one on the steering wheel before the drive home and almost screamed. I think because I was not expecting one there. I did not scream while removing it from Mr. N. Poor Sage had over a half-dozen though and they didn't find them for a few days so hers were huge. Thank you for not posting photos of real ticks.
ReplyDeleteThis is flippin' hilarious! Thankfully, we've never had to remove a tick from our dog, but if we do, I now know how to. (We also use Bravecto.)
ReplyDeleteI, unfortunately, have had to remove ticks in the past from myself and from my pets. It is definitely not a fun experience! Our current pup is on Bravecto, so no ticks for him.
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved your photos, in this post, especially the corn "ticks" !!!
I will absolutely never look at corn the same way again, which is probably a good thing because my daughter just got braces and we are not supposed to be eating it anyway. Also, glad you allowed time for vomit breaks in the process. He he, I laughed my way through this whole post.
ReplyDeleteMy dog is on Braveco but I have had tick encounters ... including one on me. Ick. I've recently received a tick remover tool that - if I ever have another chance to use it (hopefully not) I will review it.
ReplyDeleteGreat way to communicate such an important serious message with laughter. I was using topical but will investigate further
ReplyDeleteI love the toasted corn kernels portraying ticks. I'm still laughing. Good tips too.
ReplyDeleteI confess I recommended a friend in England put liquid paraffin in a trick he found on his cat. It worked!
ReplyDeleteTicks are gross, and horrible and evil and you are a real heroine for taking them fof UHG!!!
Really heard a lot about this product im going to see if i can get it here in India
ReplyDeleteLOL Love your instructions. We prefer TickTwister to tweezers. We tried Advantix but Cookie had a reaction to it. So for now we haven't used anything.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the humor in a not so funny situation.
ReplyDeleteGreat instructions! I had to pull a tick off our dog Sophie once, it wasn't fun! I love your illustrations with fake ticks and fake tweezers!
ReplyDeleteGreat product review! I've started using Bravecto as well, it's so easy & convenient. I found a tick on my dog a few months ago, the first time my dogs ever had one. It was so gross!
ReplyDeleteLove & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Great product review! I've started using Bravecto as well, it's so easy & convenient. I found a tick on my dog a few months ago, the first time my dogs ever had one. It was so gross!
ReplyDeleteLove & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Thankfully I've never found a tick on my pups but man am I paranoid about it! So glad you can keep your pups protected all year long with this!
ReplyDeleteI loved your fake tick! haha Luckily no ticks or fleas to worry about on Dexter. Your pups are great!
ReplyDeleteTicks are so gross! I can appreciate that you chose a dramatization of a tick rather than a real tick for your photos. Having to look at an actual tick long enough to take the photo and edit it might cause vomiting. I think the Bravecto method of handling ticks sounds like the better way to go. Luckily, I have not had to deal with ticks on my cats or myself yet. There are plenty of them here in Michigan, though!
ReplyDelete-Purrs from your friends at www.PlayfulKitty.net
Finn had a brown firm 'cyst' on his elbow for about 6 months while he was protected by Bravecto.... the months passed, winter came (no tick protection)... As we are now in spring I recently gave him his first tick protection of the season. Bizarrely the 'cyst' seems to have dropped off. I'm wondering if it was in fact an embedded tick which was dead but still connected. Strange. Otherwise, we haven't had any ticks despite being very near the bushland lining Sydney Harbour. Wish us luck for this summer!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping I never need to deal with ticks
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this post! Good idea using the corn kernel! I like imagining you reading your posts out loud, to really get the full scope of your humor nuggets. Thanks for making me smile, even while thinking about something where the word "engorged" is a normal thing to say in context...blech!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you need to make a movie out of this one - we loved it! Plus now we're a little freaked out thinking about a tick..... but in our minds we're placing that image with one of a dried kernel corn!
ReplyDeleteCool blog post. I like your humor. :) I've had to take ticks off pets a number of times. I have a handy little tool that I got from my vet. It has "claws" like the claws of a hammer. It works great and you don't have to touch the tick at all. Nice and neat. Thanks for posting this. Good info.
ReplyDeleteWish I saw your article a few weeks ago, although it will be handy for future reference. With all the dogs I've had not one ever had a tick, until recently. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even notice it, it was my neighbour who did. My dog has white fur and it was on the top of his head, and we pet him all the time and didn't see it!! I felt so awful, but he's fine. Luckily my neighbour had a tick remover and some experience, and did it for me. We're now constantly looking!
ReplyDeleteWish I saw your article a few weeks ago, although it will be handy for future reference. With all the dogs I've had not one ever had a tick, until recently. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even notice it, it was my neighbour who did. My dog has white fur and it was on the top of his head, and we pet him all the time and didn't see it!! I felt so awful, but he's fine. Luckily my neighbour had a tick remover and some experience, and did it for me. We're now constantly looking!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS! Congratulations on bein' a finalist in the Nose-to-Nose Awards. purrs
ReplyDeleteThank you, Seville! Hope you never get a stupid tick! ☺
DeleteWhat a clever way to tackle a "sticky ticky" subject! Haven't had to take on a tick, but now we'll be prepared! Also, congrats on being a BlogPaws finalist!
ReplyDeleteHi Miss Elizabeth, Jon Farleigh, Dewi & kitties! Funny & smart post! Mom found a tick on Bessie, my Basset Hound minion, early this spring. YUCK! The D-O-G gets a monthly tick preventative, so it died quickly after latching on to her head. YUCK still. CONCATS for your BlogPaws awards nomination! Mom will see you soon in SC! -Valentine & Mom
ReplyDelete