Before you begin, get a pair of fine-tipped tweezers or special tick removal instruments. They allow one to remove the tick without squeezing the tick body, which could force harmful bacteria into your pet’s bloodstream. Do not use your fingers to remove or dispose of the tick.
You want to grasp the tick by the head or mouth parts where it enters the skin. Again, do not pinch the tick by the body.
Pull firmly and steadily directly outward, without twisting or jerking.
After removing the tick, you can place it in a jar of alcohol to kill it.
Clean the bite wound with a disinfectant. You can also apply a small amount of triple antibiotic ointment.
When finished, wash your hands thoroughly.
It is not uncommon for a welt and skin reaction to occur. In some cases the bite area may be permanently scarred leaving a hairless area.
Do not try to make the tick back out by applying petroleum jelly, a hot match, or alcohol. These irritants may just cause the tick to deposit more disease-carrying saliva in the wound.
Tagged as: Lyme disease, Medicine, Microbiology, Tick
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