A Tick on my Dog! Now What?

You’re finally in bed at the end of a long day, when your furry family member happily plops beside you. Too tired to force an eviction, you scratch absent-mindedly behind a floppy ear as both of you begin to drift off. Then, suddenly, your fingertips lock on a small, smooth, solid bump.

Gross, gross, gross! You think to yourself, Please don’t let it be…

 

The covers fly off and you drag your dog into the bathroom. As the fluorescent light blinds your sleep-starved eyes, you sift through fur until your fear is confirmed. It’s a tick!

What now? It’s the middle of the night and you know that your veterinary clinic is closed. You’d prefer to have a veterinary technician remove the tick, but time is of the essence. Your dog isn’t up-to-date on their parasite prevention, and you know that the longer a tick is burrowed in the skin, the more likely it is to transmit disease-causing bacteria such as Lyme, Ehrlichia or Anaplasma.

So, you take matters into your own hands!

• First, you use latex gloves and tweezers to remove the tick in one smooth, straight motion. You remember not to twist, or use “hacks” like rubbing alcohol or a hot pin as this can cause the tick to break or regurgitate.
• You then put the tick in a sealed container so you can take it to your vet for identification on your way to work tomorrow.
• Next, you wash the bite site on your dog’s skin with soap and water.
• You dispose of your gloves, wash your hands and disinfect the tweezers.
• Finally, you set a reminder in your phone to contact your vet in the morning to book a tick-borne disease test and to ask about parasite prevention.

 

Exhausted, you slip back into bed. But as you close your eyes once again, you can’t shake the phantom tickle of creepy crawlies on your skin.

Months later, you’re in bed, snuggling with your dog again. Unbeknownst to you, your dog had picked up a tick earlier that day. However, because you gave your pup his monthly dose of parasite prevention from your veterinarian, that pesky tick is now long dead.

With your furry family member safely by your side, you simply close your eyes and slip into an early slumber… this time, in a bug-free bed!

 

Dr. I. Wonder is here to answer your questions regarding your furry family members. If you have a question, email it to us at danielle@NeighbourhoodPetClinic.com. Our team at Neighbourhood Pet Clinic will tap into their collective experience to answer your various questions.