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My dog has a tick. What's the safest way to remove it at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Puggle | Female | spayed | 9 months and 1 day old | 18 lbs

How do I remove a tick??

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on May 11th, 2019

Use a pair of fine toothed tweezers and grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Gently pull it out, making sure you get the mouth parts. Place the tick in a small jar of alcohol to kill it. Use an antiseptic/disinfectant to clean the area. Dispose of the tick afterwards and wash your hands. A small, firm lump may develop at the site of the bite. This is normal and should resolve on its own. be sure to use a flea/tick preventive and perform a "tick check" each time Penny comes in from outdoors. https://www.petcoach.co/article/tick-removal/

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 5th, 2017

    Removing a tick should be done carefully and to make sure that no parts of the tick's mouth is left behind. Using tweezers, the tick should be pulled up and out of the animal's skin with no twisting. Twisting means you can leave the head behind. Check to make sure all of the tick has been removed, and if you can't get the tick out or parts of it are left behind, it's best to take your pet into the vet to have it removed.

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