Learn Me: Dog Ticks (on my dog)

As I was about to walk out the door to work this morning, much to my chagrin, I discovered a tick on my dogs rump. @#^@#$%! It had inserted its head, but looked to have not started feeding yet.

I started with trying to touch it with a needle heated by a candle to get it to release. No dice, but I think that killed it. Ended up pulling it out (straight up & out) w/ tweezers and I'm 95% sure that all of the head came with it. It was difficult to even identify the spot it had been in, but it looked like someone had just plucked a hair from a follicle. soaked the area in peroxide for a minute, then applied a neosporin type ointment to the area.

I've kept the tick in a ziplock and identified it as an adult female dog tick. So these are supposed to be potential carries of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. My question for the hive since we have many dog owner/lovers here, is what now? Just keep an eye on my dog to see if he develops any symptoms? Should I be calling our vet already for tests?

Thanks for any insight! Here's the obligatory dog pic; "Sunny goes to work"

I ain't a dog doctor, but Don't worry about it.

I use needle nose pliers to pull the ticks off, when Bubba will let me. He's kinda weird about people trying to treat him. You'd think a dog bred to hunt lions, capable of killing a 'coon by himself wouldn't be bothered by anything, but come at him with some pliers and he just weirds out.

Ivermectin is your pet's friend. Talk to your vet.

I've taken these off our various dogs using the same technique (tweezers). Nothing bad ever happened to them so far. Well one got sprayed by a skunk last night but I don't think that's related.

we have ticks all over the place so with 6 dogs we are doing tick check/removal daily in the warm months. Last year I was ordering stuff from Duluth Trading and was 5 bucks short of free shipping so on their suggested items was this "tick key" I thought it looked gimmicky but worth a shot.

If you have to deal with tick removal BUY this! It is so simple to use and pulls them quickly and cleanly.

http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/product/get-ticked-key-85566.aspx?p_redirect=1&p_keyword=get%20ticked&p_origin=mens-home

Amitraz collars will actually kill ticks. I was shocked that a collar actually did anything but they work very well.

I use my fingers. And we use frontline on them, so don't have to deal with the ticks too often.

A month or two ago I pulled a nice sized tick off my dog's side. It had been feeding there for at least a few days. Came out clean and easy, but took some slightly irritated skin with it. Dropped it in a pill bottle full of isopropyl alcohol and forgot about it until I saw my baby girl was perfectly healthy a few weeks later. Then I trashed it.

If you think she is sick get her straight to a vet and bring the tick as well.

(Also it's time to give her the anti-bug meds. Thanks for reminding me.)

One tick? I've spent an hour pulling ticks off of a dog. Talk about the creepy crawlies after that.

We pull them off with our fingers.

In reply to RossD:

Hell I've spent hours pulling tick off myself. Stepping in a bed of seed ticks is no bueno.

The story veterinarians tell each other goes like this-- male client present dog:

"Doc, my dog has a tick on his chest that won't come off. I tried putting alcohol on it, pulling on it with tweezers, a needle, even a lit match. Now he won't let me anywhere near it."

Doctor examines dog-- "That's a nipple." Client replies, "But he's a boy dog!" Doc says, "Take a look at your chest."

Client again speaks up, "But it's black!" Doc says, "Well, you have a black doggie!"

We won't go into all the folks bringing in their male dogs with "disappearing pink tumors" located somewhere in the groin area...

Don't use heat, chemicals, etc. in removal, that tend to make them puke, increases chances of infection. Just grab the head and pull it off, then kill it with fire.