How to remove a tick from a dog: Checking your pet, signs of tick-borne illness and bites – USA TODAY

Maybe you’ve just gotten back from taking your dog on a hike through thick brush — or maybe you live in an area known to have lots of ticks. Either way, it’s important to keep your pup tick-free.
Despite your best efforts to keep your dog healthy, pests like ticks can sometimes cause health problems for pets. According to the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation, ticks can carry diseases such as ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
Veterinarians are able to treat most tick-borne infections, but you can do your part by making sure ticks aren’t living on your dog in the first place.
Before attempting to remove a tick, you must gather a few items. You’ll need gloves, disinfectant or antiseptic cream, isopropyl alcohol and tweezers or a tick remover tool, according to the Humane Society.
It’s important to wear gloves through the entire process so you don’t expose the tick to your skin.
If you’re using tweezers, you can remove the tick with these two steps:
If you’re using a tick remover, you can follow these simple steps:
After you’ve removed the tick, place it in a small container of isopropyl alcohol, and record the date of when it was removed. According to the Humane Society, your veterinarian may want to examine the tick if your pet displays any signs of tick-borne illness.
Make sure to clean the bite with antiseptic or antibiotic ointment, and wash your tools in alcohol.
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According to the Humane Society, signs of tick-borne illnesses include:
Contact your veterinarian if your pet exhibits any of these signs.
After you’ve been in a grassy or wooded area, it’s important to check your dog for ticks. According to Fetch by WebMD, you can use the following steps to check your pet:
To keep your dog from being bitten by a tick, you can take these precautions, according to the Humane Society:
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