Tick removal

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Moobli

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13 June 2013
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What is the best method?

I always used to twist and remove either with a tick twister or with my fingers but Lyme Disease UK have advised the safest method is to use thin tipped tweezers and grasp as close to skin as possible and pull the tick straight up and out in one fluid motion. Twisting can cause the mouthparts to break off.

Thankfully mine don’t pick up lots of ticks but I will be using this method in future.

I was berated on a breed group for not giving the right instructions ie this person said you must twist and never pull straight (and she has 30 years of tick removal experience so she must be right) 🤔😂
 
I use tick twisters and have never left any behind. Mine are on Bravecto though so the ticks are dead. Having removed several thousand over the years, Australia before preventatives were a thing (that I knew about), pulling straight seemed far more likely to leave bits behind. I’m sure the Lymes people would know what they were saying though.
 
I think the advice about not twisting them is if you’re using tweezers. I think the tick removal tools are the best option - I keep them in my dog first aid kit and in the pocket of my training vest so I pretty much always have them on me / nearby. I’m really paranoid as I had Lyme disease. I’ve only ever seen one tick on my dog and that was crawling in her and hadn’t bitten so I just flicked it off.
 
The article gives 2 methods, the 2nd one is using tick removers and it stated they are safe to use.
I rarely find live tick on our crew but remove with fingers when I do as I don't carry a tick remover.
 
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