by Heather Hamel

Created on: April 10, 2010   Last Updated: April 11, 2010

You have just found a tick embedded in your dog and now you need to know the best way to remove it. It is actually the only way, baths don’t work, suffocating them is impossible if they are embedded, and burning them out is dangerous, and doesn’t work. 

From spring to fall, there is a danger of ticks for both you and your pets. Cats won’t usually have a problem at all, which is great, because you don't want to pull something like this out of your cat, unless absolutely necessary. It could result in more pain for you than the cat. 

Thankfully, dogs are much more receptive to life’s little discomforts. Unfortunately, they are also very susceptible to ticks. Get into the habit of checking your dog, and yourself, many times through the day. The longer a tick is on you or your dog, the more likely it is to become attached. The longer it is attached, the harder it is to get out, and the more likely to be transmitting disease. 

During tick season, keep a pair of tweezers handy; also carry them with you when you are in the woods. If you live in an infested area, have a plan to get rid of the tick once it is removed from the dog (or yourself). They are hard to kill, and hard to squish. If you rinse them down the sink or toilet, they will just climb their way back up. I have heard of people cutting them in half with their fingernails, although I find this repulsive, we do what we have to. I used to keep a clear small jar half full of rubbing alcohol. Once you get the tick off or out of you or your pet, put it in the jar and close it up, ensuring their death. Leave the jar handy, depending on the infestation of where you are, you might find that jar filling up. 

Examine your dog carefully, checking absolutely everywhere, under the tail, between the toes, armpit area, ears, and everywhere else. Look with a flashlight if you need to. If you are unsure of what a tick looks like, look it up in a book, or on the internet. They are small, fairly flat, with little legs sticking out the side. If your dog is a dark color it will be hard to find them, but a bright light will help spot them. When they have been feeding off your pet for a while, they will turn grey, and will expand to the size of a raisin, and are thoroughly disgusting. 

Forget anything you have heard about burning them with a hot match or anything similar. This won’t do anything for getting the tick out, and it is just likely to hurt your dog. Place the head

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