Hi, just wondering if anybody can tell me the best way to remove ticks?.
Thanks.

The best way is with one of these http://www.bada-uk.org/products/tickremover.php

Some info from the BADA site also says: "Using methods of freezing, burning, or applying solutions to a tick can cause it to regurgitate its stomach contents, which may contain infective organisms", so you are best avoiding doing any of these.

Their site contains a lot of useful info and is well worth having a look at (http://www.bada-uk.org/).

If you don't have any tools, I have heard if you lightly rub the tick in a circular motion (one way only) it makes it dizzy and will let go, you can then pick it off and dispose of it. Always make sure all the tick is removed and the mouthpiece isn't left behind.

I have one of the PAH tick removers and it is very good - I was dubious at first because it was very cheap but having lost my original tick remover I needed one to remove a little blighter and they were the only place open that day. Had it several years now and very pleased with it - the whole tick removed and nothing left behind.

I used a pair of trusty tweezers for years then I lost them so I bought a set of tick removers from PAH.  What a waste of money. I hate the things.  I have now replaced the contraption with another set of tweezers and I am happy again.  I do a tick check every couple of days as we get them all the time.  I just grab the tick and twist and they come off no bother.  If you mess about with vaseline, etc, that causes the tick to regurgitate as they are going to let go and this is when you dog is most at risk of contracting Limes disease.  Whip it off and it doesn't have any time to regurgitate.

Put frontline on the dog and any ticks will quickly fall off. This will also offer further protection and prevent ticks for up to 12 weeks.

Frontline doesn't work on ticks in my experience. The PAH tick twister works beautifully though, I always have one in my bumbag in case I find a tick on a dog on a walk, or if I'm at training class and someone finds one (it has happened).

A pair of ordinary tweezers work fine, just grab the tick as close as possible to the skin, twist a quarter turn and pull. I always dab a spot of germolene on afterwards too.

> Put frontline on the dog and any ticks will quickly fall off. This will also offer further protection and prevent ticks for up to 12 weeks

I use frontline to prevent ticks too as we walk either in empty livestock fields or areas where there are lots of wild deer. One treatment only protects 4 weeks though, a pack (3 treatments) will do 12.

Tweezers, tools, what's wrong with fingernails ???

Somebody posted this link here few months go and we happened to have a tick straight after so I tried it... Worked wonderfully so I saved the link in my favorites :)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-remove-a-tick/
I wore plastic cloves for the job s could not get myself to do it with bare fingers...

>Tweezers, tools, what's wrong with fingernails ???

Using fingers, unless you have very long fingernails, risks squeezing the tick's body which will 'inject' the contaminated contects into the dog.

I used frontline when i took them to cumbria but when i checked they take 48 hours to die which i feel by that point infection could of already passed through, so i spent the holiday doing tick check whenever they came inside, took up alot of the holiday as there was 7 dogs lol :)

Frontline may protect for 4 weeks - but I wouldn't be prepared to keep dosing every 4 weeks after that :( I use a tick remover too without any problems except that occasionally a small lump is left behind, but this always disappears without problem after a while :)

Daisy

> I use frontline to prevent ticks too as we walk either in empty livestock fields or areas where there are lots of wild deer. One treatment only protects 4 weeks though, a pack (3 treatments) will do 12.

Oops yes- brain dead after house move

> Frontline may protect for 4 weeks - but I wouldn't be prepared to keep dosing every 4 weeks after that :-(

Is there a reason why not?

Firstly I'm not keen using strong chemicals on the dogs anyway (I use garlic preferrably). The recommended dose is three monthly for fleas, so using it monthly would be far too often for me :)

Daisy

My girl was frontlined for pet passport and 3 days later she had a tick..
The tick was not a small one either so I would have expected it not to be there so soon after treatment...
So I would definately keep checking the dog even if it was frontlined.

I use advantix and have in the past frontline, they still get ticks. But Advantix ticks? were smaller! so we do from March - Sept Advantix have a  tom o tick thingy and check them regularly. Had two from Jake this year and 3 from Whistler in total.

if you're using tweezers, tools or even fingers I always understood that you should rotate them anti-clockwise whilst pulling gently and they ease out. If you just pull them straight out you're more likely to leave the head. I had a tick remover, (basically a little nooses of fishing wire that you lasso it with) but discovered when I was out the other day that a bobby grip type hair grip works brilliantly instead. slide it under the tick and twist just the same, came straight out!