help

[luckly]

my horse has a large lump between his front legs and i notice a funny creature trying to push its self into it it had a red back end so i pulled out what i could and was told to put vaseline over it and as it should pull the rest out ,am i doing the right thing

 

[dozzie]

Keep an eye on it from now on!!!!! It sounds like it was a tick!

You need to get the head out. If you pull the body off it can leave the head inside which can lead to infection! Sounds like that is what you have probably done!!! Ive never heard of vaseline being used! I always use frontline or coopers to kill them and then remove once dead. I always keep an eye out for any infection afterwards and treat with antiseptic as necessary. Dont know whether this is standard practice but it seems to work for me!

 

[kcgibson]

i wouldnt put vaseline on. Its a barrier cream so if anything is stuck in there it wont be able to come out. Am i right in thinking they told you to put it on to smother whatever is in there? People put vaseline on ticks for this reason, they suffocate and fall off. However, if you've already pulled part of this creature out, its already gonna be dead. Also, vaseline will stop any infection that may have been introduced, from coming out. I would bathe the area twice daily with hibiscrub or salt water (a teaspoon of salt in half a pint of water, then rinse the area with plain water as salt can irritate the skin). Maybe speak to your vet in case they suggest antibiotics for infection. Hope that helps!

 

[kcgibson]

oh and maybe try using your fingers to get 'under' the lump and try to sqeeze the area to encourage any rubbish and gunk to come out (or the rest of the 'creature'!!

 

[luckly]

just been and got some hibiscrub to use on it going to see how it goes for the next 2 days if not better im going to get the vet out but thanks for all the help

 

[GreedyGuts]

Vaseline works by suffocating the tick so that the head can be pulled out easily, it's best to do this before pulling the body off, so you can get all of the tick out at once. Applying alcohol to the ticks can also help.
The risk of infection is quite low, and the bumps occur as a reaction to the ticks saliva. I'd keep an eye on him, but he shouldn't need antibiotics.
They are sooo disgusting so hopefully he won't get any more.