OMG i really dont understand the hysteria lots of people seem to have about ticks! We have millions here and the dogs and horses will have new ones every day!!
Simply twist them anti-clockwise and they will come out...no head left (or anything scary) as they burrow in clockwise.
When my dog got one we were told to smother it in vaseline, leave it for a few minutes then pull it out, we didn't actually have any vaseline so we used hydrolan leather softner, pulled it out and there was no head left.
Could be harder though if it is on her face, it was on my dogs hind legs so had no problems... other than him trying to lick the hydrolan off!
I'm dreading the first tick Otto gets, I hate them!! My Mum bought us a tick tool the minute we said we were going to look at a puppy though, so I'm all prepared!!
I remember we were Camping once, I was sat reading a book and my Dad said "What's that on your neck, stay still.." and pluck a tick off my neck
it was crawling around so hadn't burrowed in, but it didn't have make my skin crawl
vile little bugs. but no need to panic. as newydp says, simply take a very gentle hold of the body so you don't squeeze the contents of the tick back into the dog then turn anti clockwise, about a turn and a half - its a bit awkard, you'll have to twist you hand clockwise then grab it in order to be able to twist your hand anti clockwise far enough if you know what i mean. then it'll just pop off. then go buy a tick remover for next time.
never pull or burn them - you'll most likely leave the head in and that can cause infection. If you smother it with stuff then you'll have to wait for it to drop off and that can take a while and it'll still be alive to climb back on board another creature - maybe you!.
Then burn it if poss. They are very difficult to squish by standing on them
Han dont feel bad, im a vet student found a tick on Beau and screamed like a massive girl!!! (which also made beau jump.... woops! hehe
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They are foul! vaseline suffocates them to get them off if you dont want to touch them.
tick tools are great as well!
burning, its light a match blow it out, then whilst its hot touch it on its bum it will release then you have to pull it out!
They are gross so hysteria totally justified - however we get loads on dogs and horses and you soon develop the knack of twisting them out. I can touch them and have to do it as son as I find them - can't stand the though of them on my animals. hence no faffing with vaseline or tick tools etc!!
ps I'm pretty sure my parents used meths and a match. But them again they used to travel me in the car with no seat belt and send me out in the hottest sun with no sun block - ahhhh the 70s.....