Ticks - half removed..best thing to do?

SaharaS

SaharaS

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Never been in this position before as am usually very good and they come out in one pull complete with head. Lost my knack today and the polar bear has his very first tick..it was new in as still flat and sprawling legs but was stuck in garage having car window tamed and no tweezers to hand (took out of car last night!)Its an inch below his eye on his cheek, but he's quite furry,so couldn't get a good hold. I had a bit of squished tick gunk on my finger and an hour later when we got home he let me try again with tweezers.I stupidly broke the body off tho there is just enough to grab still in -and the head.

Whats the best thing to do? leave it? apply something to it-surgical spirit? I don't know why but thinking white vinegar for some reason tea tree or lavendar? orjust keep trying with tweezers.

I am cross because I've always managed to get them out first time. Please no one suggest the ciggarette thing as i wouldn't do that to him especially due to his past experiences and i don't smoke-feel very uncomfortable about that method anyway....many thanks in advance..Champagne Ice lollies for all those who got this far...now theres a thought..:-)
 
I'd clean the area with a little hydrogen peroxide then leave it alone for today. If you cannot get the head part out you may cause more chance of infection if you keep on trying. Chances are the head will form a small pussy pimple at the site where it's attached and the head will be expelled that way within a few days. Obviously keep a close eye on it and if anything changes and it looks infected, speak to your vet.
 
Good advice from Spyda and I would be looking at a preventive measure as well, I use prac-tic on my Dobes as we have a lot of deer here and I worry about Lymes disease. It would be worth you looking up the symptons for this as it can be fatal .
 
It sounds as though you pull the ticks straight out. You shouldn't need tweezers; all you do is twist the tick ANTI-clockwise and pull, it will come out head and all.
 
Thank you both...i'm in mass panic mode now:-/ rather hoping for the non lymes disease option what strength of hydrogen peroxide?its v near his eye....
 
mollymum said:
It sounds as though you pull the ticks straight out. You shouldn't need tweezers; all you do is twist the tick ANTI-clockwise and pull, it will come out head and all.
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it didn't tho, stupid things evil little head still well & trully in..never happened before I'm usually great at getting them out in one go & one piece:-(
 
Mine all have advocat to prevent ticks now and also because we have lungworms where I live (Surrey)

Real horror of ticks since my BIL came home from a long walk. Girly shriek a little later as whe he took his shirt off he had 2 ticks fasting on him!
 
Luci07 said:
Mine all have advocat to prevent ticks now and also because we have lungworms where I live (Surrey)
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I'm 99% sure Advocate isn't effective against Ticks (brilliant on fleas and lungworm).

Frontline works on Ticks but is rubbish against fleas now.

Having had an abscess from the panic removal of a tick (leaving the head in), which was chomping on my boob! I would keep close eye and take to vets Monday if you can't get the rest out.
 
As above advocate doesn't cover ticks. With mine I advocate them and then she gets regularly washed with animology flea & tick shampoo. Really seems to work. Ticks are awful round here though and there aren't any products that could stop them completely :(
 
If it was me, I'd get the tweezers and twist the rest of the body out.
When I was working on the North York moors with the ticks there, it happened on one of the lambs near their eye but we just had to dig that little bit more - probably uncomfortable for the poor lamb, but better than leaving it in - it can cause infection by being left half in.
I wouldn't go near the eye with any sort of chemical, just in case!
K x
 
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