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Oh Yuck! Ticks are here again. I just love
summer but it doesn’t always bring out the
‘good’ stuff. If your humans take you up North
(Flagstaff, Payson) or back east for the summer
you’re in danger of ticks finding you. They may
even be hiding out in your own back yard.
They’re nasty little critters that can carry
disease from one pet to another and have been
known to transmit disease to humans. The most
common diseases are Lyme and Rocky Mountain
spotted fever.
Have your mom and dad check you often for ticks
every time you’ve been outside. If they do find
any, here’s what my mom found out about how to
remove them.
Use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers (or a
tick-removing tool). Do not grab the tick’s
body; instead, grab the tick right where the
mouthparts enter the skin. Do not use your
fingers because if you squeeze the body of the
tick it may release some of its harmful bacteria
which would go directly into your dog’s
bloodstream.
Without jerking or twisting, pull the tick with
firm, steady pressure directly outward. It may
take a few minutes, but with continued pressure,
the tick will dislodge. Do not try those old
urban legends about applying petroleum jelly, a
hot match or alcohol as they don’t cause the
tick to back out, in fact they may cause the
tick to deposit more disease-carrying saliva
into the wound.
Once the tick is removed, kill it by placing it
in a jar of alcohol, freezing it or burning it.
It’s important not to handle or squeeze the tick
– its contents can be released which could
affect humans.
You can then have you mom or dad clean your
wound with an antiseptic or any ointment your
vet may recommend. Healing can take a week or
more and in some cases the tick bite may scar
leaving a small hairless area.
When removal and disposal is done, you mom and
dad should wash their hands thoroughly to get
rid of any left over tick residue.
Oh, and according to me - don’t forget the last
step in this process – give your dogs lots of
kisses and treats when this ordeal is over.
Just trying to help
Finnigan
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