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This guide is a home-care support tool. It does not replace personalized advice from your veterinarian. For any questions, contact us at 514-223-1197.
The tools
One good tool is enough to grip the tick. The rest is for disinfecting and protecting yourself. Get everything ready before you start.
Tick hook
Designed to slide under the tick and lift it out whole, mouthparts included. The safest option.
BestFine-tipped tweezers
If you have no hook, fine-pointed tweezers will do.
Isopropyl alcohol
To kill the tick once removed.
Mild antiseptic
Dilute chlorhexidine, povidone iodine, or soapy water to clean the skin.
Gauze or paper towel
To dab and dry the area.
Gloves
To avoid direct contact with the tick.
OptionalA tick hook is worth having
A tick hook (Tick Twister or similar, from a pharmacy or pet store) lifts the whole tick out with a simple motion and lowers the risk of leaving the head behind. If you live in a tick area, keep one in your kit.
Mistakes to avoid
How you remove a tick matters as much as removing it. Done wrong, it can actually raise the risk of infection.
Never do this
- Apply oil, petroleum jelly, ether, alcohol, a match, or heat to make the tick let go.
- Crush or squeeze the tick's swollen body.
- Yank it out or twist it (apart from the slight motion a hook is designed for).
- Remove it with your fingernails or bare fingers.
Why? All of these stress the tick and make it regurgitate its saliva and gut contents into the skin, injecting the very germs you are trying to avoid.
Protect yourself, and act early
Wear gloves if you can, never handle an engorged tick with bare hands, and wash your hands before and after. The good news: the sooner a tick is removed, the lower the risk of transmission (most diseases need many hours of attachment). So act promptly, but calmly and correctly.
Removing the tick, step by step
Settle somewhere calm with good light. If your pet is very agitated or in pain, or the tick is in a tricky spot (eyelid, inside the ear), let the clinic handle the removal.
Steady your pet
Pick a calm, well-lit spot. Get someone to help hold it if needed, or offer a soft treat to distract it.
Grip the tick right at the skin
With tweezers, place the tips on the tick's head, as close to the skin as possible, without pinching the body. With a hook, slide it under the tick, between the skin and the mouthparts.
Lift it out gently
With tweezers: pull straight out, slowly and without jerking. With a hook: make a slight rotating motion, then lift. Check that the tick is whole, mouthparts included.
Clean the area
Disinfect the bite with soapy water or a mild antiseptic (dilute chlorhexidine, povidone iodine), then dab and dry with a clean pad.
Dispose of the tick
Drop the tick into a small sealed container with alcohol to kill it. You can also keep it in a sealed bag: if your pet gets sick later, it can help identify the disease involved.
After removal
The bite usually heals without trouble. Here is what to watch for in the days and weeks that follow.
Watch the bite
A little swelling or a small scab is normal for a few days. Call if the area becomes very red, swollen, painful, or oozing.
Check for more ticks
Go over the whole body, especially the head, neck, ears, armpits, and dense-fur areas where ticks like to hide.
Watch the overall picture
Unusual tiredness, limping, loss of appetite, or fever in the days or weeks after? Call us. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, or anaplasmosis.
In Quebec, stay alert
Ticks carrying Lyme disease are increasingly present in Quebec, especially in the south of the province. A bite does not mean your pet will get sick, but it is a good reason to monitor closely and keep up suitable tick protection.
Preventing ticks
The best tick is the one that never latches on. A few habits greatly reduce the risk.
- Check your pet after every walk, especially after woods, brush, or tall grass.
- Keep the yard tidy: mow the lawn, clear dead leaves, trim bushes.
- Use a vet-prescribed tick preventive (spot-on, tablet, collar) and renew it as recommended.
- Avoid heavily infested areas if your pet is not protected.
Cats: beware of dog products
Never put a dog tick product on a cat without your veterinarian's advice. Some dog tick treatments (those containing permethrin) are highly toxic to cats and can cause tremors, seizures, even death. Always choose a product made for your pet's species and weight.
Your questions, our answers
The most common situations around removing a tick.
What if the head stays in the skin?
Should I apply something (oil, alcohol) before removing the tick?
Can I remove the tick with my fingernails?
Does my pet need treatment after a bite?
My pet lives in an apartment. Does it need protection?
Five moves, and it is done
Steady your pet, grip the tick right at the skin without crushing the body, lift it out gently (or with a hook), disinfect, then keep watch. If you are unsure, the head stays in, or unusual symptoms appear, call us. Prevention and regular checks remain the best protection.