Removing Ticks!

It seems there is a heat wave in the UK AKA summer to the rest of us, and this has caused ticks to have a party and spread causing mass hysteria. A bit like the sunshine, we deal with ticks daily here, there are hundreds, we never get the one lonesome one like in the UK, if a dog has ticks, it has a whole town living on it. 

Removing them is simple, and I honestly never understand why people rush their dog off to the vet, for him to remove. All you are doing is allowing the vet to go ... Kerching as he charges you a stupid amount for something that you can do at home. Here is my guide to removing a tick successfully,  and by success I mean that I am still alive, I did not suffer any emotional or mental trauma from the process. 

1. Take several deep breaths, look your dog in the eye, and prepare yourself for this life saving procedure. Remember YOU (not the bug) are in charge. 

2. Part your dogs hair so you can see the tick clearly, at this point your eyes may burn, skin crawl, heart race, and stomach juices churn, a bit like if you were being chased by a HUGE spider. This is all normal, and will pass, if you need to , step back and take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. 

3. Grab the tick with the tweezers (did I mention you need a pair) right at the base, as close to your dogs skin as possible.

You will not hurt your dog, the tick well you are about to drown it so you should be past caring to be honest.  Gently remove the tick, you don't want to squash its head. 

4. Take a deep breath, believe in yourself, you can do this, you are a warrior, a ninja tick removing warrior. using a firm, swift motion, pull the tick up, and out of your dog. At the moment of release, you will look down and realize that you are holding a disgusting live tick. DO NOT fling the live tick away from you in disgust (you will want to, but you must resist the urge) 

5. With a steady hand you must kill the tick, flushing down the toilet is an option, or drowning in alcohol, however, some consider that to be a waste. Wash your hands, and praise your dog for being as brave as you. Although, you were far braver, you were a tick removing god. Pour yourself a glass of wine, and relax for the rest of the day recovering from your experience. 

On a serious note, checking your dog for ticks is important, however, it is not a huge task to remove them. Once you have done it a few times you will have the confidence that it is simple, and will save you money.