Springtime means tick time for many parts of the country. There are more than 800 different species of ticks out there; about a hundred of those are capable of transmitting diseases to humans and pets!
If you walk in a high tick area — like a forest — be sure to check yourself and your pet thoroughly when you get home. An engorged tick that has latched onto your dog or cat will look kind of like a kernel of corn. The little tick will be swollen with your pet’s blood.
An engorged tick can be removed by hand, or with tweezers. Wear gloves if you can, or at least protect your hands with a tissue. Grab the tick as close to the skin as you can. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this can cause parts of the mouth to break off and remain in the skin. Pull the tick gently and directly away from the skin. Be sure to wash your hands afterwards, and clean the bite area with an antiseptic to help prevent infection.
A friend of mine in Vermont had the best tick remover ever! It was a small plastic scoop (like an iced tea measuring scoop) with a V cut into one side. You slide the V under the tick and it just pops out. If you live in a tick area and you see this gadget, buy it. You won’t be sorry! It makes tick removal amazingly easy. I tend to be squeamish and get very grossed out by popping a tick out by hand. Ugh!
The best medicine is prevention. Apply a monthly flea and tick preventative like Frontline, or use a flea and tick collar. Ask your vet which product will work best for your pet. Generally speaking, a medicine will work better than a collar, because the medicine will soak into the skin and be distributed throughout the body; a collar is localized to the pet’s neck.