Tick season is 12 months long in most parts of the country, but the disease-carrying insects certainly do flourish in warmer weather. Even if you regularly administer tick medicine to your dog, you might see a tick on his body; the medicine won’t kill it immediately.
Removing it can be a little tricky because ticks have a one-piece body, as the American Kennel Club (AKC) points out. Crablike legs and a sticky secretion help hold a tick to a dog, while the harpoon-like barbs of its mouth attach to your pet for feeding.
Tweezers will work, but they have to be fine-point tweezers to avoid tearing the tick and possibly spreading infection into the bite area. A tick removal hook will work, too, and is actually easier to use. You place the prongs on either side of the tick and pull up and out — not side to side.
When you’re done, wash your hands, applying rubbing alcohol to the bite spot on your dog. And clean the tweezers or hook with disinfectant.
