How to Remove Ticks from Furry Pets

Last Updated: August 27, 2021

Removing ticks from a furry pet is a task that many pet owners dread. The process is fairly simple, but deviating from it can easily cause the tick to release harmful, bacteria-filled fluids, causing infection. Perform the process in a well-lit area so that you can see what you're doing, and enlist the help of a family member or friend to keep your pet calm.

Steps

1
Prepare a jar filled with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will kill the tick and the jar can be used to preserve it until you are certain that your pet will not get sick from the bite. Throwing the tick in the garbage or flushing it down a toilet will not be enough to kill it.
2
Wear disposable latex gloves. The bacteria that many ticks carry can enter your bloodstream if it bites your skin or if you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth after handling it bare-handedly, and this bacteria can make you very ill. Disposable gloves are best, since you can throw the gloves away if they get contaminated. You may even wish to wear a double layer of gloves as an added precaution.

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3
Ask someone to hold your pet down. This is especially important if you have a pet that resists being held or fussed over, but even well-behaved pets may try to run away in the middle of treatment. Ask help from someone who can gently hold your pet still without hurting or alarming it.
4
Separate the fur around the tick. If your pet has short hair, you may not have any trouble seeing the tick. If your pet has medium to long fur, however, you or your helper may need to part the fur around the tick to expose it so that you can clearly identify the head. If possible, continue to hold the part with one hand as you remove the tick with the other.
5
Grab the tick by the head or mouth using fine-tip tweezers.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Natalie Punt, DVM
Veterinarian
Expert Interview. 19 August 2021.} Ideally, you should aim for the area where the tick enters the skin. Do not grab the body. Use just enough pressure to hold the tick with the tweezers, but do not squeeze it, since squeezing the tick may prompt it to release harmful bacteria into your pet's bloodstream.
6
Gently and slowly pull the tick upward. Do not twist the tick, since twisting it increases your chances of decapitating it and causing further problems.^{[2]
X
Expert Source

Natalie Punt, DVM
Veterinarian
Expert Interview. 19 August 2021.} Pull with an upward, outward motion instead of going at it from an angle. Do this part slowly, since jerking it away too quickly may cause it to release harmful fluids into your pet's blood.
7
Place the tick into your prepared jar. Make sure that the tick falls into the rubbing alcohol and does not hang onto the side of the jar. Once it is secure, cap the jar and set it aside in a safe location where it will not be knocked over.
- You can also put the tick in a bag and take it to the vet for identification. That way, your veterinarian can offer recommendations or information about what kind of tick-borne diseases you should be concerned about. ^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Natalie Punt, DVM
  Veterinarian
  Expert Interview. August 19, 2021.}
8
Apply a warm compress, if necessary. A tick's mouth parts can occasionally be left behind in your pet's skin. If this happens, apply a warm compress to the area in an effort to expel the parts naturally. Do not attempt to dig them out with your tweezers.
- If you cannot remove the mouth-parts with a warm compress, call your veterinarian.
9
Clean the bite wound. Sterilize it with rubbing alcohol and apply an antibiotic ointment. Make sure that the ointment you use is safe for pets.
- You may need to take extra measures to prevent the animal from licking away the antibiotic or messing with the bite wound. A t-shirt or booties might be enough to prevent your pet from licking its underbelly or paws, respectively, but if not, you may need to use a pet cone.
10
Remove the gloves and wash your hands. Throw the gloves away and do not reuse them, even if they did not come into direct contact with the tick. Similarly, you should wash your hands with antibacterial soap, even though they did not directly touch the tick.
11
Sterilize your tweezers. Dip them into rubbing alcohol, or scrub them clean with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. You can also sterilize them by passing the tweezers over a flame.
12
Watch the bite wound for signs of infection. The area might be a little red after removal. If so, apply a pet-safe hydrocortisone spray to the location to soothe away some of the irritation. If the redness or swelling gets worse within a few hours, however, you should take your pet to the vet. You should also take your pet to the vet if the inflammation does not go away within the first day or two, or if the wound still appears red after a week passes. You should also bring your jarred tick to the vet so that he or she can analyze it and determine what bacteria your pet might be infected with.

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Community Q&A

Question

How do you get a tick out of a cat's fur?

Natalie Punt, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Natalie Punt is a Veterinarian and the Founder and CEO of mPet. She specializes in small animal emergency and general medicine and veterinary practice economics. Dr. Punt holds a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from The University of California, Davis, an MS in Biochemistry from The University at Buffalo, and a DVM from Western University of Health Sciences.

Natalie Punt, DVM

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Tweezers are your best bet. Get as close to your cat's skin as you can and grab the tick by its head. Then, pull it off.

Warnings

If your dog or cat picked up one tick, there is a decent chance that it may have picked up several others, as well. Thoroughly check the rest of your pet's fur, paying special attention to areas where ticks generally hide like the ears, toes, and underbelly.

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If your pet picked up a very small tick, it could be a deer tick. Deer ticks are the most likely to carry Lyme disease, so you may want to call your pet's vet as soon as you remove the tick rather than waiting for potential signs of infection.

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