What foul goddamn creatures!
April 28, 2011 5:20 PM Subscribe
How can I best remove ticks from my dog? Is there a gadget to improve my batting average?
I've tried using tweezers, and I'd say I break the tick about a quarter of the time--requiring dog-annoying sessions with the needle-point tweezers. And, I have a tick-removing gizmo that looks like a bright orange plastic teaspoon with a slot cut in it. That works better, but isn't shaped properly for many parts of my dog's body--and the fur interferes.
So, what's the best approach? If you're going to suggest covering the tick in something (vaseline, alcohol, tape), or other non-mechanical methods, please cite your sources on effectiveness.
I've tried using tweezers, and I'd say I break the tick about a quarter of the time--requiring dog-annoying sessions with the needle-point tweezers. And, I have a tick-removing gizmo that looks like a bright orange plastic teaspoon with a slot cut in it. That works better, but isn't shaped properly for many parts of my dog's body--and the fur interferes.
So, what's the best approach? If you're going to suggest covering the tick in something (vaseline, alcohol, tape), or other non-mechanical methods, please cite your sources on effectiveness.
The BEST way (sorry, not trying to snark) is to take steps to not get them. There is a specific tick collar available at niche petstores that's tick-specific, then I always recommend frontline plus as well, available more cheaply on ebay in bulk than in that petstore. The Tick Arrest collars work great in places where ticks are thicker than mosquitoes---like PA and rural WV.
But---yes, heat works. The burnt-match method if you've only got a couple, or a paperclip or nail if you've got several. Just be careful you don't burn sparky.
I'm not a fan of the vaseline method, just because it takes too long.
I've been doing it so long I generally just use my fingers, getting as close as possible and then using my fingertips as levers to pull evenly on both sides of the tick. This is gross.
Isopropryl Alcohol works great if the dog will tolerate it.
It is absolutely necessary that you get them off, which you probably know, as the anticoagulant poison is actually a nervous-system repressor that can actually shut your dog down if left untreated. If your dog gets lethargic or especially lazy, there is an issue. Normally it takes a lot of ticks to do this, but not always. Just a heads up.
If you're talking the tiny tiny ticks that carry lyme disease---they're a nightmare, and you absolutely need to be proactive with dips, drops, and collars---because you WILL miss them, and they WILL get in your house, and they are insidious little fuckers who all need to die painful deaths.
posted by TomMelee at 5:32 PM on April 28, 2011
But---yes, heat works. The burnt-match method if you've only got a couple, or a paperclip or nail if you've got several. Just be careful you don't burn sparky.
I'm not a fan of the vaseline method, just because it takes too long.
I've been doing it so long I generally just use my fingers, getting as close as possible and then using my fingertips as levers to pull evenly on both sides of the tick. This is gross.
Isopropryl Alcohol works great if the dog will tolerate it.
It is absolutely necessary that you get them off, which you probably know, as the anticoagulant poison is actually a nervous-system repressor that can actually shut your dog down if left untreated. If your dog gets lethargic or especially lazy, there is an issue. Normally it takes a lot of ticks to do this, but not always. Just a heads up.
If you're talking the tiny tiny ticks that carry lyme disease---they're a nightmare, and you absolutely need to be proactive with dips, drops, and collars---because you WILL miss them, and they WILL get in your house, and they are insidious little fuckers who all need to die painful deaths.
posted by TomMelee at 5:32 PM on April 28, 2011
I live in Tick Central; we battle ticks all summer. I carry a tick key in my purse. It's a flat metal doohickey that is perfectly shaped to grab the tick, head and all, so you can remove it in one motion. I occasionally pull a bit of dog fur with the tick (especially if she's wriggly and uncooperative) but if I try to do it with my fingernails I have a 50/50 shot at getting the head out.
OBTW: the Tick Key website (tickkey.com) is HORRIBLY BROKEN in Firefox.
posted by workerant at 5:37 PM on April 28, 2011 [5 favorites]
OBTW: the Tick Key website (tickkey.com) is HORRIBLY BROKEN in Firefox.
posted by workerant at 5:37 PM on April 28, 2011 [5 favorites]
I have removed hundreds of ticks from cats over the years. This tick remover was the most effective out of all of the methods our family tried. It was small enough to get into hard-to-reach areas, and it worked well on both engorged and un-engorged ticks.
posted by macska at 5:52 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by macska at 5:52 PM on April 28, 2011
Response by poster: Can I mix one of the tick collars with the Revolution drops he's already using? Revolution is all that my vet carries or recommends, and I really appreciate the heartworm angle it has. But, it doesn't appear to do a goddamn thing against ticks.
posted by Netzapper at 6:02 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by Netzapper at 6:02 PM on April 28, 2011
I love those to little gadgets but I didn't know anything like that existed so I had to make one myself.
I take old credit cards or gifts cards and cut a deep V in them. Use just like those other little gadgets (like the tick key). It removed mouth and all and does NOT squeeze the tick. They come off perfectly intact and then I flush them.
posted by beccaj at 6:07 PM on April 28, 2011
I take old credit cards or gifts cards and cut a deep V in them. Use just like those other little gadgets (like the tick key). It removed mouth and all and does NOT squeeze the tick. They come off perfectly intact and then I flush them.
posted by beccaj at 6:07 PM on April 28, 2011
I wouldn't mix collars and the other chemicals. These are pretty strong in themselves. FWIW, flea and tick collars are toxic if they are chewed on by other animals. This is why I much prefer Revolution or Frontline.
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:08 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:08 PM on April 28, 2011
Having tried to remove ticks from a long-haired dog, while on vacation no less, I can attest to the effectiveness of alcohol. Rubbing alcohol preferred, but beer works in a pinch. Pour some alcohol on and the tick generally backs out of the dog, allowing you to pluck it off (and stomp it into the ground. I can't emphasize the value, or the satisfaction, of that step enough.)
posted by DrGail at 6:11 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by DrGail at 6:11 PM on April 28, 2011
Walmart is now carrying a generic version of Frontline Plus called Pet Armour - exact same active ingredient. $25 a box instead of the 40+ the Vt charges for Frontline Plus.
posted by COD at 6:11 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by COD at 6:11 PM on April 28, 2011
We get ticks on us several times a week, as we romp around the woods on most days when it isn't raining. I'm very good at removing ticks. I've tried a number of different techniques ... here's what works best for me.
1. Make sure you're using a good set of tweezers. We use one from Tweezerman (Amazon link), but ... holy cow, that's pricier than I thought it would be ... other (cheaper) tweezers might work well.
2. Flip the tick on its back, using the non-tweezing end of the tweezers. Simply hold the tick so that its back is touching your skin and its belly is facing out. (I don't know what tick physiology is, but I like to think this is bending the tick's neck back and making it really uncomfortable.) Hold it like this for about 15 to 30 seconds. You might try to get someone else to distract your dog while you're doing this.
3. Let the tick back into its "normal" position. Use the tweezers to firmly grasp the tick, and then pull it straight out, kind of like a splinter.
I've probably pulled 30+ ticks out with this method, and I can't remember ever leaving the head embedded. The ticks almost always start crawling up the tweezers, looking for their next meal, antennae waving. Hate them.
posted by Alt F4 at 6:14 PM on April 28, 2011
1. Make sure you're using a good set of tweezers. We use one from Tweezerman (Amazon link), but ... holy cow, that's pricier than I thought it would be ... other (cheaper) tweezers might work well.
2. Flip the tick on its back, using the non-tweezing end of the tweezers. Simply hold the tick so that its back is touching your skin and its belly is facing out. (I don't know what tick physiology is, but I like to think this is bending the tick's neck back and making it really uncomfortable.) Hold it like this for about 15 to 30 seconds. You might try to get someone else to distract your dog while you're doing this.
3. Let the tick back into its "normal" position. Use the tweezers to firmly grasp the tick, and then pull it straight out, kind of like a splinter.
I've probably pulled 30+ ticks out with this method, and I can't remember ever leaving the head embedded. The ticks almost always start crawling up the tweezers, looking for their next meal, antennae waving. Hate them.
posted by Alt F4 at 6:14 PM on April 28, 2011
We mix a collar and flea drops on our cat, she's fine and the collar really does seem to help with the ticks. Ditto with the Tweezerman point tip tweezers (although mine came too sharp and simply cut through everything, some filing may be necessary).
posted by anaelith at 6:59 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by anaelith at 6:59 PM on April 28, 2011
I work in animal medicine, and we tell people (on the phone) to grasp the critter firmly with fingers just behind the head and just apply gentle, steady pressure to pull the bastard out.
The bosses do not advise fire/match or tweezers.
Seek to avoid "squishing" the tick; it's mouthparts are wide open and firmly embedded in the host tissues, and the tick can be forced to "vomit" it's body contents if handled with too much force. I have been told that this is the "head" left behind, if it does occur. For which, you treat it as a small lesion on the skin.
All this is too late for any transmissible disease the tick has infected you/the pet with, BTW.
I have heard of tick-removing devices that are relatively new to the field and have no experience with them.
The collars/other medicines are great for prevention, but entering a tick-infested area can up the ante on infestation.
FWIW, I am now teaching a class in parasitology to veterinary technician students, and there are many really gross critters out there, but these kids squirmed a lot in the tick section.
Eww, right?
posted by bebrave! at 7:17 PM on April 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
The bosses do not advise fire/match or tweezers.
Seek to avoid "squishing" the tick; it's mouthparts are wide open and firmly embedded in the host tissues, and the tick can be forced to "vomit" it's body contents if handled with too much force. I have been told that this is the "head" left behind, if it does occur. For which, you treat it as a small lesion on the skin.
All this is too late for any transmissible disease the tick has infected you/the pet with, BTW.
I have heard of tick-removing devices that are relatively new to the field and have no experience with them.
The collars/other medicines are great for prevention, but entering a tick-infested area can up the ante on infestation.
FWIW, I am now teaching a class in parasitology to veterinary technician students, and there are many really gross critters out there, but these kids squirmed a lot in the tick section.
Eww, right?
posted by bebrave! at 7:17 PM on April 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I just want to say that if you can't get Revolution (which I don't know) or Frontline (which I've tried) to work for you, I recommend something with amitraz in it, though I don't know how available that is in America. It appears you do get it in collars there, but I mix it with water in a bucket, wet my dogs down, and let them dry off in the sun, as my vet recommended. Amitraz seems like a really awful poison, but it's not quite as dangerous as it smells. And it brought my dogs and me a peace we had never known in years of battling unyielding infestation. They don't have to be miserable all the time or risk dying of some ridiculous tick-borne disease, and I don't have to watch them being miserable all the time or worry about them dying of some ridiculous tick-borne disease. It's the best.
(When I did have to pick lots of ticks off, by the way, I found it was most efficient to use my fingers. It's horrible, but not as horrible as having hideous things trying to live on you and drink your blood all the time, so. I also found out by accident that if I dropped the ticks in a bowl of mouthwash it killed them right away. I thought it was the alcohol, but I tried cheap rum and vodka and they never had the same effect. I know I tried rubbing alcohol too, but I can't remember how that went.)
Best of luck to you!
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 8:03 PM on April 28, 2011
(When I did have to pick lots of ticks off, by the way, I found it was most efficient to use my fingers. It's horrible, but not as horrible as having hideous things trying to live on you and drink your blood all the time, so. I also found out by accident that if I dropped the ticks in a bowl of mouthwash it killed them right away. I thought it was the alcohol, but I tried cheap rum and vodka and they never had the same effect. I know I tried rubbing alcohol too, but I can't remember how that went.)
Best of luck to you!
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 8:03 PM on April 28, 2011
Pull them off with your fingers, flush them down the toilet, and wash your hands. In that order.
posted by WyoWhy at 8:11 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by WyoWhy at 8:11 PM on April 28, 2011
Best answer: It's tick season here and my dog and I both get the little brutes. Frontline is excellent for keeping the dog clear of them, so long as I remember to put it on. Revolution is really no good for ticks in our experience. Our vet says alternate Revolution and Frontline, two weeks apart, but at present I'm just using Frontline every three or four weeks because the ticks are so bad now (56 from one recent walk, all caught before they bit.)
This is a great tool for removing ticks, but I recently saw a youtube vid showing tick removal by simply rubbing the tick in a circle, whereupon it releases it's "teeth" and can be just lifted off. Unfortunately I can't find the vid, but it worked *very* well and I almost look forward to trying it. Removing ticks by pulling, whatever the tool, almost always leaves a very itchy piece of the tick embedded, so if the circular rubbing works as well as it seemed to, it would be much preferable.
posted by anadem at 9:15 PM on April 28, 2011
This is a great tool for removing ticks, but I recently saw a youtube vid showing tick removal by simply rubbing the tick in a circle, whereupon it releases it's "teeth" and can be just lifted off. Unfortunately I can't find the vid, but it worked *very* well and I almost look forward to trying it. Removing ticks by pulling, whatever the tool, almost always leaves a very itchy piece of the tick embedded, so if the circular rubbing works as well as it seemed to, it would be much preferable.
posted by anadem at 9:15 PM on April 28, 2011
We have this gadget. Does not squash the tick, fairly easy to use even for the squeamish.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:01 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by oneirodynia at 11:01 PM on April 28, 2011
Pull them off with your fingers, flush them down the toilet, and wash your hands. In that order.
Yup. I hide my fingers a bit behind a Kleenex. Mr. Llama does it just with fingers. One year we saw thirty ticks in one day. Fortunately they weren't all attached to our dog. Unfortunately many of them were in our bed.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:38 AM on April 29, 2011
Can I mix one of the tick collars with the Revolution drops he's already using?
Yes, you can with the Preventic collar, and this combination is what my vet recommends. The Preventic collar has a distinct advantage over other tick measures since it kills the beasts before they can attach. Please note, however, these collars should not be used on dogs who have close associations with cats, since the chemical is dangerous to felines.
posted by vers at 6:41 AM on April 29, 2011
Yeah' best way is just using your fingers. You can judge pressure easily so as to prevent breaking them in half/popping them, and I find my dogs are more comfortable with this than sticking them with tweezers. Just grab as low down on the tick as you can and pull gently, but forcefully, and steadily.
If you're worried about cooties or something, rest assured that the rest of your dog probably isn't any cleaner.
posted by Patbon at 10:50 AM on April 29, 2011
If you're worried about cooties or something, rest assured that the rest of your dog probably isn't any cleaner.
posted by Patbon at 10:50 AM on April 29, 2011
I found the "rolling" method (as described here) to work really well.
Also, about once a month topical tick preventatives - I have tried K9 Advantix, and am currently using Vectra 3D which works better in my opinion. My vet also told me that while these supposedly work for a month, their effectiveness drops off rapidly after 3 weeks - so if you are in a tick-infested area you might actually want to apply them every 3 weeks.
posted by medusa at 12:25 PM on April 29, 2011
Also, about once a month topical tick preventatives - I have tried K9 Advantix, and am currently using Vectra 3D which works better in my opinion. My vet also told me that while these supposedly work for a month, their effectiveness drops off rapidly after 3 weeks - so if you are in a tick-infested area you might actually want to apply them every 3 weeks.
posted by medusa at 12:25 PM on April 29, 2011
Response by poster: I just went to the vet who happily sold me 6 months of Revolution and 9 months of Preventic collars.
In the meantime, I've been trying the twirling method. This works great for the larger species of tick (deer tick?), but not so well for the smaller one (dog tick?). The smaller ones I'm still left removing with tweezers.
So, thanks, y'all!
posted by Netzapper at 3:40 PM on May 2, 2011
In the meantime, I've been trying the twirling method. This works great for the larger species of tick (deer tick?), but not so well for the smaller one (dog tick?). The smaller ones I'm still left removing with tweezers.
So, thanks, y'all!
posted by Netzapper at 3:40 PM on May 2, 2011
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