There’s no beating around the bush when it comes to ticks. They’re gross. They carry disease and hurt your pet, which is enough reason to be public enemy #1.
From Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis, ticks pose a serious threat to your pet. pain in the butt. Not only do ticks endanger your pet’s health, but yours as well, to the point where the diseases they carry can be debilitating or fatal.
While in the midst of sheer panic about finding a tick on your pet, whatever you do, don’t instinctively pull it out with your bare hands! Take a breather and know that there are tick removal tools & techniques available that can help.
Tools like tweezers allow you to firmly grasp a tick, as close to the skin as possible, to remove the entire tick, including the mouthparts, safely. Clean tick removal in turn, helps prevent the spread of disease and infection. Do not squeeze the tick’s body or twist it during removal, as this can increase the risk of disease transmission. Once the tick is removed from your pet, place it in rubbing alcohol or a sealed container to kill the tick. Because the last thing you need is hopping back on you or your pet.
Next! Disinfect & Wash. Clean your hands and the surrounding area to make it a tick-free zone.Stepping up to the plate, next is squeeze-on topical treatments. Formulated for the weight of your dog (or cat), squeeze-on topicals help keep ticks at bay and help protect your pet. Look for a topical that targets fleas and ticks to prevent future infestations. To best meet the needs of your pet and your family, prescription oral treatments, collars, sprays, and shampoos are great alternatives.
Talk with your veterinarian about the best options to protect your pet from fleas and ticks.. Don’t split doses between multiple pets, and never use a dog product on a cat or a cat product on a dog. Read all directions and precautions before applying since these can vary from product to product.