How to Remove a Deer Tick

If you have no knowledge of deer ticks learning about them is more important than you might think. Pet owners and parents should know what a tick looks like and how to remove deer ticks. Safely removing a tick from a pet or child or yourself is important. Living in wooded and grassy areas can be a wonderful and peaceful lifestyle, however, deer ticks may be a problem.

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 becomming 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.

Source:
Personal experience and opinion