Who Knows About Ticks

[BOBS DAD]

Ginger occasionally got them and we pulled them out with tweezers. We always got the entire tick, including the head. This seemed important as I was always told, "make sure you get the head and body intact". This was pretty easy as Ginger has a short coat and we always found them right away.

Bob got a tick on the back of his ear. I found it tonight. I don't know how long it was there but it seemed pretty bloated and it's head was deeply rooted into a raised bump area in Bob's skin. Bob's shaggy so it could have been there a day or two before I noticed. I plucked it with tweezers, but the head broke off in the raised flesh area.

Is this a problem? I noticed the tick as I was petting him. I also noticed two raised hard bumps on te back of his right ear in similar places - but no tick. What do you think, should I take to vet or is this going to be OK?

[Corinna]

it is a foergin object use some hydrgen perxide and clean the area do try to get the head out it can be come a huge infection.

[chocolatepuppy]

Maybe you can call your vet and see what he/she says? A tick this time of year in Pittsburgh? I guess we're lucky, not too many problems with ticks. Of course my pups don't go near the woods.

[steph]

surgical spirit is always good to remove ticks... and alcohol.. or.. frontline!

[labmomma]

I just ordered Frontline Plus for my 3 dogs because flea and tick season will soon be upon us. I'll be doing heart worm and flea and tick protection on the same day each month so I can keep track.
It's been my experience to use tweezers to remove the tick so that the head remains intact, but sometimes it doesn't happen that way. Using peroxide may help flush it out but keep a very close eye on the area. I'd call the vet to make sure though. Serious infection could arise so be careful.

[Karen]

Are the other "bumps" warm to the touch? The worry about the head staying there is, as others have mentioned, infection. If you can make a trip to the vet and get that cleaned out, that would be good.

[Scooby4]

There are some other removal tips. Each one you MUST remove the head of the tick NO MATTER WHAT.
You can use some rubbing alcohol to dry to "drown" the tick but don't drench the dog. Douse the tick with some rubbing alcohol and then remove it using tweezers. This will prevent infection as well as maybe "stunning" the tick into submission.
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! However, do use the alcohol afterward for cleaning.
You also may need to get a check for Lyme disease. It's a little early but necessary. Lyme disease can cause many side effects and there is no preventative for it. Just vigilance of keeping ticks off. Deer are the typical carrier of this disease. I am from around Pittsburgh and there are ALOT of deer there.

[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)

[BOBS DAD]

Bob went to Vet today. The vet found and removed the tick head (sounds almost vulgar). He says the bumps on right ear are just little cysts that are common in puppy's ears. They should dissolve on their own. Thanks to everyone who offered advice and suggestions!!!

[Scooby4]

Have you ever tried to pop a tick? The skin is pretty thick and NOT easily broken. The match doesn't risk breaking the skin of the tick at all. It is simply to get the tick to react temporarily so to get the tweezers around the head to pull out. The tick does NOT pop! Here in the south we use this method all the time.
Lyme disease and other such diseases are called "blood borne". That means that there has to be BLOOD TO BLOOD contact for it to spread. If you have a cut on your finger or other places and the blood of the tick got into it, then it might spread. Otherwise, getting the blood of a tick on you won't do anything. The ticks head being attached does allow a small blood to blood contact to be made, thus spreading the disease.
Alcohol is used more of a disinfectant. It does have little effect on the tick I will admit. However, it does provide a more sterile environment in which to remove the tick. Both the tick, skin, and instrument are somewhat sterilized. If you do "slip" with the tweezers and miss the head, the alcohol may discourage the tick from re-attaching. It's not going to like the smell or recognize it as an immediate blood source.
I've remove many ticks. The match method has worked the best if done properly. The match head is NOT hot enough to puncture anything since it has cooled down significantly by the time it hits the tick. If your worried about anything spreading, then wear rubber gloves.