Take Care When Removing an Engorged Tick

In the United States, tick borne diseases and infections are quite common. While some ticks don't carry diseases, engorged tick removal is still an essential skill for any parent or outdoor pet-owner.For this purpose, it's necessary to properly indentify the tick. Ticks are categorized as brown dog ticks and deer ticks. Dog ticks include engorged females, males and females. Deer ticks include larvae, nymphs, males, females and engorged females. It is the deer tick that is dangerous.

Keeping Your Pets Safe When Removing Engorged Ticks

Take care to remove engorged ticks from your pets safely.

Engorged deer ticks transmit a number of diseases, including Lyme disease (the most common), Colorado tick fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and tularemia, among others. Painful tick bite reactions are common.

Engorged Tick Removal - Step by Step

Pets suffer the most as a result of tick bites. If you discover an engorged tick on your pet, it's crucial to remove it immediately. Follow these steps:

• First of all, examine the skin under good lighting, using latex gloves. Ticks can vary in size; they are the size of a seed unless they are engorged.
• Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly from the place where it is stuck in the skin.
• Once grasped, pull the tick steadily out of the skin. Make sure not to twist or jerk.
• Don't crush or squeeze the tick, as this may cause its bodily liquid to erupt and get injected in the skin, causing infection.
• Once the tick is removed, make sure to wash hands and skin with soap and water.
• If any part of the tick breaks off and remains embedded in the skin, leave it; the skin will dispose of it in time.

BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS about the following aspects of engorged tick removal.

• Preserve the tick so that, in case of illness, you can identify the problem more easily.
• Do not use a match, cigarette or any jelly as these can further irritate the tick and consequently cause it to penetrate further in the skin.
• Consider the using spray or powder-consult your veterinarian.
• In the case of pets, daily or frequent check-ups are recommended.
• Wear long pants and sleeves in forests.
• Consider treating your lawn.

It is better to be cautious about ticks and take the necessary precautions than to risk having to go through the delicate tick removal process.