Is this a Tick

NeVeR

My G/F was brushing the dogs hair and spotted this in her ear.

He said it was a tick and got a tweezers and tried to pull it out.. the pick it of whats left.

I've add the normal photo ( macro lens ) and a smaller close up one.

Any input would be great.

Hooked

I'm no expert but it does look like one, or what's left of one. The downside being... You need to avoid pulling out the body and leaving the head. If possible, I'd get the rest out and watch for signs if infection. If in doubt - or infection sets in - get to a vet.

Google will tell you far more than I on the subject.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/getting_ticks_off_dog.html

650Ginge

Tick I would say. But vinegar on it and after a few minutes twist it gently with tweezers.

Don't pull just twist gently.

A chemist will have a device to remove it too. So the girlfriends tweezers don't have to go in the bin.

Make to tick treat the dog too, even if it ain't due.

anniehoo

Its too hard to tell from that photo, but its too late/early in the year for ticks. Not impossible though. The problem with ticks is if you pull them off you often dismember them and remove the body and not the head. The head is often left behind and causes an infection.

What did the rest of it look like? Did you see legs? Was the body greyish/brown?

If it is a tick you need to get that bit out, try very gently with a sanitised tweezers and twist rather than pull. If the area around starts to get inflamed its starting to get infected to straight to a vet for antibiotics.

NeVeR

Thanks for the replies.. when she seen it she said she seen legs.. I wasn't looking at the start.

She asked me to get the tweezers and she tried to pull it out.. thats before we did any research.. she just wanted it out and quick.. probably not the best move.

Is there any point in trying the vinegar thing ?.. the body it gone.. whats in that pic is all thats left.

anniehoo

NeVeR wrote: »

whats in that pic is all thats left.

Thats what's going to cause the problem though. She's left the head embedded and discarded the body.Normally ticks feed and and fall off (if they haven't transmitted disease by then). Leaving half a tick still in your dogs ear can cause a massive infection if its not removed. If the dog will let you clean the area with surgical spirits and using a clean tweezers remove the last part and clean again.

It's VERY common so don't panic but you need to get the head out asap.

juice1304

I would remover it as soon as possible ticks carry lymes disease here in a good portion pf the country. and make sure you remove the head and hot just the body that is exposed be gentle.

Hooked

NeVeR wrote: »

Is there any point in trying the vinegar thing ?.. the body it gone.. whats in that pic is all thats left.

What's in that pic needs to come out OP.

NeVeR

can't get the bleeding thing out...


can to go vet tomorrow.. poor dog doesn't know whats going on.

anniehoo

If it was me, i wouldn't be rushing to a vet. That's just me though. Keep the area clean and keep an eye on it for the next few days. It probably will just shrivel up and be fine, but can cause infection so if you keep bathing it with an alcohol swab or diluted dettol you should be fine.

Bixy

I am amazed at tick activity at this time of year (assuming OP that you are in Dublin?) I always associate our dogs getting them from playing in long grass in the late summer!. We would use tweezers and dettol to good effect.

andreac

You can soak it in alcohol and then pull it out. It comes out much easier then. I did it before and the alcohol worked and was able to pull it out properly.
Its one thing i cant really stomach, is things like Ticks and Lice, eugghhh. Blood and guts no problem, but Ticks, Lice and Worms, yeuch!!

pawrick

There are still ticks around even though it's cold. A stray cat we caught last week had two on him.

NeVeR

thanks for the replies.

Yes i'm in dublin, I have my dogs in the parks and also the garden which has bushes.

I brought her to the vet and she's on antibiotics for 5 days. She said to treat it with salty water and it should come out.. if it doesn't she'll have be knocked out and then it taken out !

mistress_gi

I've always heard that a bit of olive oil on the little buggers, a pair or tweezers and twist to remove from poor animal will do the trick!