Discovered one of these creature embedded into the skin of my tummy…EEEEK ! I went straight to the internet to see what to do myself. I followed the article below…that is …me telling George what to do cause I could barely see it as it was almost in my belly button. This is my Tick in a little bottle waiting for transport to the testing lab.
My Tick
Our little dog Picard also had Deer Ticks, which I found how to get rid of during my research is taking care of mine. Successful removal of 4, all alive with the heads in tack. We will be keeping a close eye on him in future and diligently examining our own bodies in future.
Minute Clinic – Deer Ticks (After the Ad…sorry)
How to remove a tick
Most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. But it is important to remove a tick as soon as you find it. Removing the tick completely may help you avoid diseases such as Lyme disease that the tick may pass on during feeding, or a skin infection where it bit you.
When you return home from areas where ticks might live, carefully examine your skin and scalp for ticks. Check your pets, too.
How to remove a tick
Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove a tick. If you don’t have tweezers, put on gloves or cover your hands with tissue paper, then use your fingers. Do not handle the tick with bare hands.
- Grab the tick as close to its mouth (the part that is stuck in your skin) as you can. The body of the tick will be above your skin.
- Do not grab the tick around its swollen belly. You could push infected fluid from the tick into your body if you squeeze it.
- Gently pull the tick straight out until its mouth lets go of your skin. Do not twist the tick. This may break off the tick’s body and leave the head in your skin.
- Put the tick in a dry jar or ziplock bag and save it in the freezer for later identification if necessary.
After the tick has been removed, wash the area of the tick bite with a lot of warm water and soap. A mild dishwashing soap, such as Ivory, works well. Be sure to wash your hands well with soap and water also.
NOTE: If you can’t remove a tick, call your doctor.
You can use an antibiotic ointment, such as polymyxin B sulfate (for example, Polysporin) or bacitracin. Put a little bit of ointment on the wound. The ointment will keep the wound from sticking to a bandage. If you get a skin rash or itching under the bandage, stop using the ointment. The rash may mean you had an allergic reaction to the ointment.
Some ticks are so small it is hard to see them. This makes it hard to tell if you have removed the tick’s head. If you do not see any obvious parts of the tick’s head where it bit you, assume you have removed the entire tick, but watch for symptoms of a skin infection. Symptoms of infection may include:
- Pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the area.
- Red streaks leading from the area.
- Pus draining from the area.
- Fever or chills.
If you have a rash, headache, joint pain, fever, or flu-like symptoms, this could mean you have an illness related to a tick bite. If you have any of these symptoms, or symptoms of a skin infection, call your doctor.
What to avoid
Do not try to:
- Smother a tick that is stuck to your skin with petroleum jelly, nail polish, gasoline, or rubbing alcohol.
- Burn the tick while it is stuck to your skin.
Smothering or burning a tick could make it release fluid-which could be infected-into your body and increase your chance of infection.
There are some tick-removal devices that you can buy. If you are active outdoors in areas where there are a lot of ticks, you may want to consider buying such a device. WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Old Fashioned method: Used this to get a tick off my little dog.
The tick removal method shared here came from an elderly fellow who was born, raised, and lived his whole life in the mountains. His way of safely taking a tick off a person or pet is very dependable. Many a folks see a tick on their dog and immediately try to yank it off. That is wrong. Actually, it’s the worst way to remove a tick. Why? Well, the tick may have its head deep in the skin of the pet or person. Ticks embed their heads and begin sucking blood; which results in its body becoming very plump. When you yank a tick off you risk the head breaking off while still being embedded; thus, you may remove the tick but not its head.
Deer ticks carry Lyme disease. It is extremely important to safely remove the tick with its head still attached to its body, and then dispose of it; you have to kill it.
Ticks have a tendency to crawl towards the head of a dog and settle near or in the ears, but sometimes they will find a place near the tail, rear or belly. On people it is not unusual for a tick to find its way up to the head and bury itself around the neckline or behind the ears. However, ticks can be found anywhere on an animal or person. If you have small children or pets who play outdoors in grassy or wooded areas it’s a good habit to check them for ticks on a regular basis.
Deer Tick Removal
To remove a tick safely you need some petroleum jelly (Vaseline), a rag, some peroxide, and matches or a cigarette lighter. Use the rag, or anything else other than your bare hands, to rub a glob of Vaseline right onto the tick. Wait a few seconds, the tick will begin to back-out or pull its head out of the skin if it has it embedded. With the rag gently grip the tick and pull straight back, you don’t need to wiggle, twist or yank. Immediately cleanse the area where the tick was with peroxide thoroughly.
How to Dispose of a Tick
Assuming you are outdoors, do not just throw the tick back into the grass. If indoors don’t flush, toss in the trash or wash a tick down a drain. Take it outside, place the tick on the ground, pavement or cement is best, and with the match or lighter burn it until you hear it crackle and pop. Sounds horrible but doing this assures you that a deer tick is dead.
Signs to Watch For After Removing a Deer Tick
You should watch for fever, pain or swelling in your pets legs or body or if they refuse to eat; if you notice any of these signs it is extremely vital to get your pet to a vet right away. If you remove a tick from a human also watch for any symptoms and seek medial advice immediately.
This is the author’s personal opinion based on information shared, I respected that old man, and have used this method of removing ticks many times. This is an old-timers way of safely removing ticks from pets and people that the author has used and found to be very effective.
