How to Remove a Tick From a Dog

Intro: How to Remove a Tick From a Dog

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.

STEP 1: More Information

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.

Comments

[MyTurnToTalkNow]

So, over 500 comments, (I read them. so you don't have to) if you take away the ones that say it didn't work (less than 10%), take away the "experts" that say "NOOOOO, don't do this, go spend lots of money on a vet and by the way support our/my organization because I know so much", take away the ones that start flaming at each other and get off topic about diseases, etc. (and no, I am not interested in starting anything like that, I actually have a life) we are left with more than 400 comments that say it works, no problems with their pets after, no one coming back on and saying they or their pet got sick after using this method, we can conclude it works fine. Remember to wear gloves when you try it, and if it doesn't work, go spend money at your vet, or buy the special tweezers.
This method works. End of story. If you don't agree with this method, post your own instructable with your method that works for you.
The video, however, doesn't work. Do you have to be a premium member to see it?

[djharts]

My wife thought you remove ticks by putting turpentine on them. I had one at the top of the male equivalent of what my granddaughter used to call her "area". My wife spilled some of the turps. All I can say is DON'T use turps. Your method sounds much more interesting.

[lbrewer42]

We live in a day where too many people have been brainwashed into thinking only an expert can do something correctly.

[chrisd27]

The video works fine now. Thanks for posting - I'm just about to try it on my dog, trying to remove a tick that the vet didn't spot!

[chrisd27]

And it worked perfectly. Thank you so much.

[FlashTheCat]

dang! i forgot the gloves! i'm dying...

[manisha.caleechurn]

Yuck

[CatherineC46]

So basically you're saying, if you discount all the people that don't agree with this, then everyone agrees? LOL.

[icre8arch]

very good deduction and well said

[Marissa2]

I completely concur!

[rufaia413]

A good friend of mine recommended ([e-mail] and INSTAGRAM :MARIE_CONSULTANCY) to me when I had issues with my partner, she started acting suspicious and was on her phone at odd hours & always acting strange. I contacted Marie and she remotely hacked into her device granting me total access to her device without her knowing. I was shocked and overwhelmed that I could read her texts, see pictures, emails and all that.

[mahalia.young123]

I was flea combing my dog when I hit something I opened his hairs and there was blood and some kind of hard part that came off of thipthing I don't know what it is if it's a tick how do I get this out cuz it looks like a giant pimple but I put alcohol on it just in case it was a tech to start keeping bacteria from starting and it didn't seem to phase him maybe a teeny bit but nothing compared to what I thought it would be

[melvinprice]

I understand that wrapping it in tape is a great way to dispose of a tick but hitting it with a pebble is very satisfying.

I am English and I’ve lived in America for 27 years but I still appreciate when someone says “Bugger”

[melvinprice]

I’m like no way. I called a friend who was a little handy with animals. He wasn’t home.

My buddy sez, “Let’s try that thing in the video”

Less than 1 minute later the damn thing gets off and tries to crawl way, then we put it a table and hit it with a big pebble.

Thank you

Melvin

[lebowski]

Nicely done! I still like using a piece of tape to trap the little bugger, and then throwing it away.

[soychicka]

Unfortunately, this technique is likely to squeeze the tick's body, which can cause the tick to regurgitate into the host - increasing the likelihood that any diseases it may carry get pushed into the skin.

I'd avoid it, fwiw.

[JudithM49]

Thank you for this advice tick came out really easily following this technique with no Mark left as it was right above his eye thank from dougal the poodle too

[googlejunkie]

this is amazing! made an account just to comment, my 4month old puppy wasn't letting me near her with tweasers but with this method she thought I was just rubbing her belly and after about 2 and a half minutes had the tick out

[lebowski]

That’s awesome! Always makes my day to hear about happy tick free puppies!

[VivienneR1]

I live in South Africa and moved to a small holding with a huge problem with ticks. 2 of my dogs sleep with me and the other 3 sleep in the lounge. I got bitten twice, got tick bite fever and I was very ill. I got Bravecto for my 1 baby and tomorrow I will get for all the others. Only issue is if the tick doesn't bite then it doesn't die. My boerboel had a large engorged tick behind her neck so I decided now to try this method. 15 seconds, yes 15 seconds and it fell off, everything intact. WOW. THANK YOU

Now to find a way to treat my garden. Any suggestions?