Welcome to my Dog Blog where I will keep you informed and up-to-date on everything you need to know about your best friends.

Ticks stick to their hosts by firmly attaching their mouths to the host’s skin and they then begin sucking blood. If ticks are not removed from your dog immediately or within a few hours, they can engorge themselves into your dog’s skin. Engorged tick removal can be a little more difficult, compared to the removal of those ticks that have not engorged themselves. Here are a few techniques and tools for a safe and painless dog tick removal.

Technique 1

Step 1: This is the best method to use and works well for engorged ticks. Apply a drop or two of the essential oil Palo Santo directly to the tick. This should kill it within a few minutes. Alternately, you could spray a small amount of alcohol on the tick. This will make it dizzy and it will immediately let go of its hold on your dog.

Step 2: Once the tick has loosened its grip, you need to remove it carefully and gently from the dog’s body. Be sure not to burst the tick, as it may carry disease.

Step 3: Remove all the ticks from your pet’s body, put them into a jar with a couple of drops of Palo Santo or a good amount of alcohol. Dispose of the tick when it is dead.

Technique 2

Step 1: Gently grip your dog’s skin. Get a firm hold on the tick by pinching it and twist it in a reverse-clockwise direction while applying a little pressure, if required. This will make the tick dizzy and it will loosen its hold.

Step 2: Maintaining your grip on the tick, pull it out gently and crush it by pressing it between two newspaper sheets, or you can flush it.

Engorged Tick Removal Technique

Step 1: Using a pair of pointed tweezers, grasp the tick at the area where it is engorged in the dog’s skin.

Step 2: Once it has been firmly grasped, pull the tick out steadily without twisting or jerking. Do not use force or pressure that will cause the tick to rupture or separate it from its head. At times, a part of the tick may remain embedded in the dog’s skin. Do not try to extract it, as it may be painful for the dog. The remaining embedded part will be disposed off on its own, eventually.

Tick Removal Tools

A number of canine tick removal tools are available commercially, some more affective than others. If you are gentle and patient, there is little need for these tools. If you are persistent, eventually the tick will give up and release its hold on your dog.

Dog tick removal is an important aspect of your dog’s regular care. It is best to prevent tick infestation and there are many natural methods that are both safe and effective.