Ticks on my Dog - please help!

[trakand_01]

On sunday I pulled something off my dog, I thought it was just stuck in his fur but afterwards I discovered it was a Tick (I have seen them before but it was under his ear, I didnt realise what it was until afterwards). So I bathed him with anti-flea shampoo, checked him all over and put some Spot on stuff on the back of his neck (I'm in the UK). There's a lump, where the tick was attached, and it had something white (and hard) inside it. I tried squeezing like you'd squeeze a spot, and tweezering but could only get some mucous out, and had to give up as it was distressing him.

 

Now, I'm worried that this lump is bad, and dont know what to do. My partner says we'll leave it a week and see if it goes down, but i'm not sure and am panicking about it! Chances are it will go away in a week but i've read horror stories and am worried.

 

Any ideas?

[Alys Kinch]

ticks can leave their heads when you pull them off and that can cause infections and lyme disease... most of the time, it's o.k.  before pulling off any more ticks, make sure you use a hot pair of tweezers so that the tick will retract it's head. for this time, there's nothing to do but wait or see the vet.

[Rufae]

Either the hot tweesers or burn a match, blow it out, then touch it to the tick's back. Sometimes this will cause them to let go.

 

As for the broken head, after a few days, the body will usually push it out of the skin. If not, it will be broken down and absorbed by the body.

 

[DPR]

 

No worries - dogs get ticks all of the time. And it is most likely the tick's head left under the skin. But, if you have Lyme disease in your area, you probably want to go to the vet.

[trakand_01]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for all the help! Lyme disease isnt a massive thing in the UK as we're very well contained but reports show cases are on the rise. I think i'll just keep an eye on him and take him to the vet if I notice anything suspicious.

 

It hasnt harmed his appetite anyway...

[Spirit1025]

Aww poor doggy!

 

He'll probably be just fine. I live in a forested area where ticks are really common, as is a tick-borne disease other than Lyme disease. Remove them by grabbing as far down the head as you can get with tweezers and pulling. Then flush it down the toilet if you can, as they are difficult to kill by squishing. If you squish it and throw it in the trash, chances are it will crawl right back out lol...The lump you see is, like others have said, probably from a portion of the tick's head remaining imbedded in your dog's skin. It is irritating, just like a bug bite would be for you, but it will heal. If you're worried, try using an over the counter antibiotic cream meant for humans (like Neosporin, don't know if you have that over there...?) And from now on, use a good tick and flea spray or spot on all the time, and check your dog and yourself after walking through brush, trees, or tall grass. I hope he's ok! Ticks are yucky.