Tick Removal & Prevention

Ticks are external parasites that attach to pets and feed on their blood. They are commonly found in wooded areas, tall grass, and fields. Ticks can transmit serious diseases like Lyme disease and babesiosis.

How to Remove a Tick:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a specialised tick removal tool.
2. Using tweezers: Grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do NOT twist.
3. Using a Tick Hook (e.g., O'Tom Tick Twister): Slide the hook under the tick, twist continuously until the tick releases. This is the preferred method in the UK to ensure the head is removed.
4. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
5. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

What NOT to Do:

• Do not crush a tick with your fingers.
• Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, or nail polish to "suffocate" the tick.
• Do not twist deeply embedded ticks with tweezers (only twist if using a specialised hook designed for it).

When to See a Vet:

1. If you are unable to remove the tick or the head remains embedded.
2. If the area becomes red, swollen, or infected.
3. If your pet develops symptoms of tick-borne illness (fever, lethargy, limping, swollen joints) in the days or weeks after a tick bite.