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In this instructable I will demonstrate how to easily remove a tick from your dog without pulling it out. The tick will crawl out on it's own and you won't have to deal with 'did I get it all out?'. This sounds like a magic trick and you might even think it is, I did. My sister inlaw had been telling me how to do it for quite a while and I just never tried it, because I didn't think it would work. One day when I was at the vet getting my dogs their yearly shots, my vet found a tick and removed it using this method and I was sold.
I easily remove about 20 ticks a year from my two dogs. When I used the old way, which was get your tweezers as close to the head of the tick and pull straight out, it would often leave parts of the tick behind. Ticks seem to like areas near the eyes and ears, which would leave marks and scars that wouldn't ever go away.
So how do you do it?
Rub the tick in a circular motion and pretend you're trying to make the tick dizzy. I generally stick with one direction, clockwise. It usually takes less than a minute, so if it's not working, make sure the body of the tick is moving around. Remember you can't get dizzy unless you're actually moving in a circle, quickly. I doubt the tick actually gets dizzy, but they sure don't like something about the movement and they crawl out on their own.
This was too difficult to document with photos, so here's the video.
I easily remove about 20 ticks a year from my two dogs. When I used the old way, which was get your tweezers as close to the head of the tick and pull straight out, it would often leave parts of the tick behind. Ticks seem to like areas near the eyes and ears, which would leave marks and scars that wouldn't ever go away.
So how do you do it?
Rub the tick in a circular motion and pretend you're trying to make the tick dizzy. I generally stick with one direction, clockwise. It usually takes less than a minute, so if it's not working, make sure the body of the tick is moving around. Remember you can't get dizzy unless you're actually moving in a circle, quickly. I doubt the tick actually gets dizzy, but they sure don't like something about the movement and they crawl out on their own.
This was too difficult to document with photos, so here's the video.
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The only troubles I have had with this technique, is when you catch the tick early in it's attaching process. It makes it harder to actually get the body of the tick to move around and you feel like you're just rubbing the tick. If it won't come off, I will usually wait another day instead of risking leaving part of the tick behind in my dog.
This method should work on people as well, but I haven't had the chance to try it out. I don't think it will work as well, because you generally catch the tick early on and there's no body to move around. It's also easier to get parts of the tick out as you can use tweezers and then just like removing a splinter, get the rest out.
Once you have the tick out, wrap the tick in a piece of tape to kill it. If you're taking it off yourself or another person, you probably want to put it in a jar of rubbing alcohol and get it tested for Lyme disease.
This method should work on people as well, but I haven't had the chance to try it out. I don't think it will work as well, because you generally catch the tick early on and there's no body to move around. It's also easier to get parts of the tick out as you can use tweezers and then just like removing a splinter, get the rest out.
Once you have the tick out, wrap the tick in a piece of tape to kill it. If you're taking it off yourself or another person, you probably want to put it in a jar of rubbing alcohol and get it tested for Lyme disease.
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For the sake of those who, for whatever reason, have trouble getting this method to work, here is another method that has been 100% successful for me, allowing me to get the tic out whole every time.
1) Cover the tick in vaseline. This stops them from getting air through the spicules in the sides of their bodies and they die in place if you wait about 60s before going to step two. Wait at least 30s so they will be sluggish, if not yet dead.
2) Now that they aren't holding on anymore, grab their body, none too gently, with the tweezers or a pair of pliers (easier to use, frankly) and turn counter clockwise. Tics are threaded. I'm not joking. They come out within two or three1/4 turns.
3) Wipe up the excess vaseline with a kleenex and its all good. The vaseline cleans up remarkably easily.
If the tic is in a very hairy place, you can put tape on the dogs fur to hold the hair back away from the tic before you apply the vaseline. Doing this will make it easier to grab and turn the tic without getting the tweezers tangled up in the hair. Yes, some hair comes off on the tape, but they don't seem to mind much.
http://www.tickbitepreventionweek.org/tick-removal.html
www.bada-uk.org
So rather than pay yet again, despite being extremely queemish about these things ,i decided to don the latex gloves, put a muzzle on the dog (well you never know do you) and give it a go, and i just can't believe it , it just fell away into my hand after about 30 seconds, think the dog actually quite liked the experience. Decided to check all of its coat and found another little blighter behind its ear, (well i say little, it was huge), but again the technique worked a treat. Double checked the tick has its head on removal, put in small clear bag and stomped with my foot. Horrible, horrible little things and i am itching just typing this, but i'll defo be using this little trick from now on. thank u again.
On the subject of ticks and Lyme disease, you may be interested to know that a leading Scottish life sciences company called Xeroshield is currently looking for members of the public who live and/or work in Scotland to take five minutes to fill out a simple online survey as part of a major new study.
Xeroshield is exploring the development of a device to remove ticks from humans and pets, combined with a laboratory service for the detection of Lyme disease in ticks collected and immobilised using this device. The study is designed to assess the potential market for such a product and service. But it is also expected to generate valuable data about general awareness of ticks and Lyme disease in Scotland.
The survey asks a series of very straightforward questions about people’s own experience of ticks and Lyme disease in Scotland. Xeroshield is keen to hear from anyone who spends long periods of time outdoors for work or leisure and is therefore at higher risk of being bitten by ticks.
At a later stage, Xeroshield also plans to carry out more detailed interviews and focus groups and would be particularly interested to hear from anyone willing to participate in these later this year.
If you live and/or work in Scotland, would like to find out more about this project, and to complete the ticks and Lyme disease survey online, please visit: xerolyme.wordpress.com
Although the smother method has worked well for me so far, its clear from your response that tick removal has become an emotionally heated and controversial topic. As I've gone around the web looking for more information I've found absolutely no studies -- no actual data. All I see is opinion and salesman ship for clever little tools.
Even the CDC and FDA website reference no actual data. Perhaps you could point us to some better websites or references?
I'm particularly interested in finding out what we really know about ticks -- what makes them panic and what doesn't and when they regurgitate. It seems to me that all of the tick removal methods would be equally likely, or unlikely, to cause a panic in the tick. Do we really know that upsetting a tick causes regurgitation? Why would it do that? How would this help a tick from an evolutionary point of view?
Also, if alcohol and vaseline and soap don't actually smother a tick, why do they all, none the less, cause him to let go and go limp? I can't find any data on that either.
Finally, since the "rolling" method above results in the tic choosing to let go and walk off, why is it thought that this is more likely than the alternative, prying and pulling, to cause regurgitation? It is fairly obvious to my that prying and pulling is more likely to leave body parts behind so ....
Oh one more, since timely tic removal seems to be a big part of this. Exactly how long after a tic digs in does lyme infection occur? Because if it occurs immediately, another 30s-60s or so won't matter. On the other hand if infection occurs after say, 30min, then I can see why we'd want to get the tic out right away, because who knows, we may be within the 30min window.
Very confusing.
This study concluded that it is not unusual for a tick to continue to salivate for several minutes after removal, and if it is infected, the possibility of accidental inoculation with a disease agent is increased with careless handling of the tick. Longevity of the microorganisms outside the tick then becomes a critical factor in the degree of risk involved.
It also concluded that occluding the tick's air supply with substances, even for several hours, would not be expected to affect it because of its slow respiratory rate and, in practice, appeared to impede self detachment.
It also concluded that hot objects may induce the tick to salivate or regurgitate infected fluids into the wound because heat in the form of infrared radiation will stimulate partially or fully fed ticks to salivate. The same theory now applies to freezing agents as fluid is likely to be forced down the hypostome of the tick and into the host.
As an organisation, BADA-UK must comply with current official advice in terms of the preservation of human and animal health. All official disease prevention sources state that the only recommended removal technique is by manually removing a tick with fine-pointed tweezers (to avoid compression of the body) and to lift / lever outwards with a stead, even motion, without twisting or jerking. Until such time as new advice is adopted by such authorities, this is the advice that BADA-UK continues to offer.
Hope this clears things up for you.
I volunteer for a self funded charity that raises awareness about Tick and Tick borne diseases....for example Lyme. The safest was to remove a tick with with an O'tom tick twister...it doesn't leave any mouth parts behind. Also you shouldn't touch ticks as they can pass on diseases through breaks in your skin or if you touch your mucas membranes after.
I have attached a link showing how you should remove a tick....and the link to our normal website too. As a charity we have worked very hard for our good name, and will only ever give our best practise advice, and will only recommend things that have been proven to work. If you have any questions feel free to ask of contact us through our website. Thanks for your time
http://www.tickbitepreventionweek.org/tick-removal.html
http://www.bada-uk.org/
it took a long time, that tick did not want to leave my dog... but it finally fell off.. and as soon as it did my dog started to shake and run and i lost it, luckily i did find it after much frantic searching...right where i had to pin my dog to let me rub it out, and it does come off head and all i put it in a zip-lock bag and that nasty pincher face is still there legs still moving and all.
if i could i would hug you right now.
THANK YOU!
Lilly had a big tick on the side of her face, and after finding this instructable, my wife put on a rubber glove and used her index finger to twirl the tick around as described here.
30 seconds, and the tick came right off, head and all, just as advertized!
Thank you for making a gross job easy for both my wife and our dog Lilly.
No stress on the tick picker or on the pooch.
Cheers,
Gary.
Read through and watched the video....I was skeptical...but something about it felt right...like maybe I'd heard about something similar to this yrs ago...
Anyhoo, I decided to give it a shot as I was getting nowhere quick with my muzzled (for safety!) black beauty.
I isolated the tick (it was at about half size engorgement) and commenced the rotational rubbing action...being very light on the pressure and careful not to crush the tick...
After about fifteen seconds I stopped and felt the tick and assessed it's attachment...still attached. I was a bit disallusioned... I started up again with the circular rubbing action when suddenly I realized the tick had suddenly detached and fallen onto the counter top with a satisfying little sound...like a raindrop hitting the ground!!!
I was absolutely astounded>>>and ecstatic!!!! If this proves to be safe ( I will watch for signs of infection etc) It'll be one of the best tips ever for tick removal!!!
The removal process in the past has always been successful....but also stressful and quite the PIA !! Plus, I think Rory may have enjoyed the whole process! Thanks for the excellent info!!!!!
Thanks again.