How to remove a tick from a dog: Satisfying tips and tricks

Updated 06/09/2024

For any canine carer or pup parent, it’s important to know how to remove a tick from a dog properly. There are over 20 species of ticks found all over the world, but all are difficult to remove. Ticks can transmit nasty, deadly diseases like Lyme disease to both humans and hounds. In some cases, they can even cause slow paralysis in dogs. So, it’s vital you know how to look for ticks, know what to do to remove a tick from a dog, how to treat the tick bite afterward, and how to stop these bloodsuckers from appearing in the first place.

Remember if you’ve never removed a tick from a dog before or you’re uncertain how to do so, make sure you take your pooch to their vet. As well as removing all ticks, the vet will be able to teach you how to perform your own tick removal at home.

When to remove a tick from a dog

Short answer: Any time you find one you need to have it removed as soon as possible. Ticks are very good disease carriers so if you spot or feel one on your pet’s skin it’s time to take action!

Tick checks should be done after each walk, especially if they’ve been through a forest, long grass areas, or off their leash. Wash your hands then run your hands slowly through the fur on their face, body, legs, and tail. If you detect any bumps or swollen patches, investigate further as it could be a tick. Be sure to look in all their nooks and crannies - ears, lips, between-toe beans, under their legs, and around their butt - as ticks can be super sneaky at hiding.

If you have a pup who has luscious locks or extra floofy fur you’ll need to be thorough with your tick examinations. It’s best to actually look through as much of their fur as possible as fluff can easily hide a tiny tick.

How to remove a tick from a dog safely

Ask your vet if they can give or recommend a tick removal tool - this looks like a small two-pronged fork made of plastic. Some vets give these away for free, otherwise, you can bulk-buy them through a reputable source. If you’re unable to find a tick-removal tool, a pair of tweezers can also work. 

Trusted Tip: Do not try this without first attempting this with your vet. They’ll be able to guide you and jump in if anything goes wrong.
Removing a tick from a dog can be done with a few simple steps:

Step 1: Wash your hands and put on some disposable plastic gloves if you have some.

Step 2: Find the tick, spread your pup’s fur, and hold it back so you can see the tick better. Take your tick removal tool or tweezers and gently attach them where your dog’s skin and tick meet.

Step 3: While holding the ‘neck’ of the tick, slowly start to rotate the tweezers or tick removal tool and gently lift upwards. Be patient and don’t try to pull it out quickly or squeeze it.

Step 4: Check the tick is intact by looking to see if it still has its head and leg parts (if it’s still moving then you know it’s in one piece) and throw it away in a sealed container. Clean the wound with rubbing alcohol.

This shouldn’t cause your pup too much discomfort if any at all, they may just think they’re being given a weird massage.

Why pulling ticks off of dogs is a bad idea

Pulling ticks off a dog can cause the tick’s head to remain stuck inside your doggo. Yuck! Not only could this cause serious infection and increase the chances of spreading disease, but the heads are very difficult to remove on their own. In some cases, particularly if an infection has started, your vet might need to sedate your dog to remove it surgically. This is distressing for your pup and harsh on your wallet.

The same goes for squeezing the tick - as well as causing the tick to… er… separate, the action of squeezing it can lead the tick to inject toxins into your dog. This is why you should be super careful when removing a tick. 

Aftercare: what to do after removing a tick from a dog?

If you’ve successfully removed the whole tick, dispose of the tick by putting it in a sealed plastic bag or container that can then be thrown away. Clean the wound with rubbing alcohol and be sure to check how it’s healing every 24 hours.

Any unsuccessful tick removals (as in, the head has stayed inside the wound or you’ve accidentally squeezed or squashed the tick) must then be followed by a vet appointment. Similarly, if you notice your pup developing any symptoms like fever, lethargy, lameness, drooling, or pale gums, they need to see a vet immediately. Unfortunately, symptoms can sometimes take several weeks to appear so it’s important to continue monitoring your dog after a tick bite has taken place.

How to prevent ticks

Your vet will be able to provide you with different preventive treatments to stop ticks from latching onto your dog in the first place. These are usually applied once a month as part of their care routine and often include tablets or topical medicines.

However, there are times when some pests are super persistent and will hitch a ride anyway. After walks during spring or summer time, especially when you’ve been through long grass, always take the time to check your pup for ticks to catch them as quickly as possible. Similarly, keeping an emergency dog kit at home is a great way to be prepared if you’re worried you’ll need to remove a tick for a dog in the future. 

Summer and spring can be the best times for puppers to play, but this also creates tick-borne environments in woodlands, long grass, or even in outdoor garages or sheds. Take extra care during this time of year and don’t forget to do those daily tick checks!

Meet our veterinary expert, Liam

This article has been checked by veterinarian Dr Liam Bullock BVSc (Hons) MRCVS.

As a small animal vet, Liam has spent time working in both first-opinion and referral-level practices. After gaining a strong affinity for educating owners about their pets, Liam decided to dedicate some of his non-clinical time to tutoring students, who were preparing for exams or struggling at school. By combining a passion for teaching others, and a keen interest in raising awareness about animal health issues, Liam decided to begin writing veterinary content. This now also allows him to raise awareness of important animal health issues outside of the consultation room.

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