After a nice walk in the forest or in a park with your dog, you are worried: your pet has been bitten by a tick. Nothing serious, but it must be removed quickly with help of a natural tick remover for cats or dogs. These parasites can represent a danger when they carry disease. Might as well get rid of its ASAP! Follow this guide if your dog has been bitten by a tick and adopt the right reflexes to properly detect this parasite.
The first step to avoid
Be careful, if you find an embedded fully ticks on dogs: do not try to remove it with your fingers. When the tick bites, it sticks its head under the skin. You risk leaving her hanging and making the situation worse. Indeed, the tick’s saliva can be contaminated, and removing ahead from the skin is much more delicate.
Removing a tick: the procedure to follow
To properly remove a tick, the best solution is to use tweezers specially designed for this purpose. This little accessory can be establish in pet stores or in the “animal” section of your supermarket. It comes in different formats depending on the size of the tick and costs only a few euros. Always have one available just in case!
The tick tweezers are attached with a hook, which will permit you to catch the parasite:
– place the hook around the tick’s body, against the animal’s skin.
– gently turn the pliers.
– after a few turns, the tick will detach itself.
Very important: check that the tick is in one piece. If the head stays under the skin, it can continue to transmit bacteria to your dog. In this case, consult a veterinarian who can remove it safely.
You’ll probably notice a small, swollen lump at the bite site—press gently on both sides to release the venom. Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous for you. Then disinfect the inflammation with a little alcohol or an antibiotic cream and wash your hands.
If you do not have a tick tweezer at home: do not try to remove this parasite hastily by hand, as indicated above. Go to a pharmacy or a pet store to buy one and remove it carefully by a natural tick remover.
Good to know:
Ticks are carriers of many diseases, which can affect both animals… and humans! Among the best known: is Lyme disease. This infection can cause neurological disorders and severe joint pain. Starting in 2015, 33,200 people have been facing this problem by this disease in France.
Tick bite: alarming symptoms
In most cases, a nudge and a treat will be enough to make your pooch forget about this bad episode. After such a bite, still stay on the lookout and watch your pet. If in the days that follow, you notice certain abnormalities in his behaviour, do not hesitate to consult a veterinarian. Indeed, it may mean that the tick-transmitted an infection to your pet.
Some symptoms should alert you:
– your dog is behaving abnormally tired.
– the bump at the bite is still very expanded after 5 days.
– he no longer eats and/or drinks.
– In this problem, your dog’s urine is very coloured.
– he vomits.
A doubt? Be sure to detect the presence of a tick
Do you have a doubt about the presence or not of a tick on your dog’s coat? This parasite is recognizable by its shape: an oval ball of 3 to 6 millimetres, brown in colour. Be aware that this mite particularly likes to lodge behind the ears or between the fingers of its hosts. It can stay attached for several days and grows bigger as it feeds on your animal’s blood.
Our advice:
Regularly check your dog’s body for the possible presence of a tick. Watch for the presence of red lumps on your dog’s flesh, this is one of the main symptoms of a tick bite, which grows larger as it feeds on the animal’s blood.
Good prevention to avoid ticks
To be more serene, remember to protect your doggie. Start by checking that his vaccines are up to date. Why? Quite simply to avoid certain risks of contamination in the event of a tick bite.
Then, have the reflex to regularly administer a pest control product to your dog. Collars, pipettes, spray: there are many possibilities to kill the tick before it has time to transmit an infection. The products do not prevent a possible bite but when the tick clings, it dies before contaminating its host.
Something to keep your mind at ease during your long walks in the forest with your favourite companion.
Do not hesitate to consult a veterinarian to discuss it and set up an appropriate preventive treatment. Problem: the bill can quickly climb… To protect your favourite animal while controlling your budget, Carrefour Assurance offers you dog and cat health insurance. Enough to ensure your pet with peace of mind!
