Who Knows About Ticks

[Pam]

There are some other removal tips. Each one you MUST remove the head of the tick NO MATTER WHAT.

Ticks are very common here and I can't tell you how many I have removed over the years. There have been times when the head has been left in but I put alcohol on it often,and it will work its way out in the form of a scab at some point. I have never had any infections. At least that has been my experience.

You can use the old "burnt match method". This requires a quick hand or assistance. You light a match and quickly extinquish it. Take the HOT match and touch the back of the tick with it. This will cause the tick's head to retract a bit making it easier to remove with tweezers. You may need to do this a few times to get the hang of it. It does work once you get coordinated enough. Just buy lot's of matches and do NOT use a lighter! Also do NOT use the alcohol method prior to this. You could catch the dog on fire!

This scares me to death. I was told to never use a match anywhere near a tick since, if they are engorged they can pop and send the potential toxins (Rocky Mtn. spotted fever and Lyme) spilling out. I was also told that alcohol has no effect on getting a tick to *let go.* Their head is below the surface of the skin and is not affected.

Getting the Lyme vaccine yearly and using Frontline should protect your pet, although I have been disappointed with Frontline a few times. If it is working properly one would think the tick would die before becoming engorged. I have noticed some engorged ticks on my dogs while they are on Frontline. This is why my vet encourages using both the vaccine and Frontline. (We live in a heavily wooded area)