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I remember back about four years ago, I had my first run in with Lyme's disease, which was carried by a deer tick that bit my 3 year old lab. This dog was my favorite, and she is missed on a daily basis to this day.We were out in the woods having fun and exploring a new area around my house, when she must have picked it up. I wish at the time I was aware of any kind of home remedies for ticks. take a good look at the picture, this is a perfect example of what a deer tick looks like.
I, up to this point, knew ticks had to be looked for and removed, but not having any real knowledge of removing them, just squeezed it while removing it, thus squeezing all the infected poison into my lab.
Unfortunately, this was the beginning of a death sentence to my beautiful friend.I do not wish the experience of watching a family pet die from this disease on anyone, so I felt the need to give some real sound advice when dealing with these nasty creatures.
How to remove them
There is only one safe way to remove them. Take a tweezers and grab the tick as close to the head as possible, and pull it off in one swift motion, not giving the tick the chance to regurgitate the poison back into the animals bloodstream.
This is the only method that is safe! If you are worried that the tick may be carrying Lyme's Disease, put it in a bag and take it to your local vet to have it checked. Trust me, it is worth the effort.
What is Lyme's Disease?
I urge anyone who frequents areas where they may acquire ticks to go to Wikipedia and search for the definition of Lyme's Disease. Pay attention to the early symptoms as the earlier the treatment is started the better the chances of survival. The longer you wait the less the chance of full recovery. I waited too long with my lab and although three expensive vet trips put the disease in check, it did resurface three months later and did take her life. better too soon than too late!
How to combat getting bit?
There are many home remedies to get rid of ticks, and products on the market to prevent tick infestation for both animals and humans. Shop around for the right fit for your needs. I recommend going as natural as possible.There are shampoos and tick and flea collars available that do work.
I hope this article helps you to understand a bit about ticks and the threat they pose to both humans and animals.
Please feel free to share this article and leave any questions and comments below!
Yes, I know what you mean. They are a part of the family and when he or she is gone they are greatly missed. We did have five dogs until a couple of months ago, but sadly had to put one of them down due to old age and cancer. He was a beagle mix named Attila and he is greatly missed every day.
It's an early tick season in NZ, I live in a rural area in a caravan my cat loves roaming and sleeping on my bed. I have to treat my cat monthly. Have you experienced tick bites?, OMG I thought sand fly bites were annoying.Tick bites stay itchy for months. I seem to have an allergy to them, sometimes experiencing cellulitis. I will have to try some neem oil
Thanks for sharing this information with us, Shawn. I'm sorry for the loss of your dog. I always fear picking up ticks since I do a lot of rock climbing, camping, and hiking off the beaten path in areas known for having ticks. The only known preventative measure that I've had up until now is when in areas that the ticks could drop onto you just keep moving and moving quickly. It's good to know there are other products that can help!
Thanks Shawn. Good article. I hate Ticks. Have I said that before? :) In my experience, Neem Oil is the absolute best preventative for these critters. Case in point, day one of a training weekend. Ticks were plentiful, on and off the dogs. One trainer shared some Neem oil with the rest of us. At one point a resting dog got up only to have us find an outline of the dog in the grass. Of Ticks. Not one on the dog. I was sold. So far in 3 seasons I've only used about 4 tablespoons of the stuff and have been tick free! Yay. Mix 1 Tsp. with water and Dawn dish soap in an 8 oz spray bottle. You are good to go for weeks. Not real nice smelling but not horrible. Beats the alternative.
Sorry you lost your dog and thanks for sharing. Yes, I'm visiting family in tick land. Hopefully avoiding the Lyme Disease that's here with them. Good information. Thanks for your article.
I remember getting one tick - horrifying because I hadn't been "outdoors" in over a week at the time. After going canoeing in the NJ Pine Barrens was skipping nature a bit. Funny story, actually. I was being a boy scout for the weekend! My dad started a handicapped boy scout troop when my brother was refused entry to the scouts for being too handicapped from a learning disability. He got parents at the special school together (where he became their biggest success story!!) and family members and a couple teachers. We did stuff including camping. Including canoeing... he didn't tell me he'd planned an UPSTREAM canoeing to camp in a farmer's back acreage and return back the next day... so when we were in the canoes and ready to go? I went. The wrong way... Wow talk about rough canoeing. White water has nothing over going upstream. Luckily my brother is and was strong. Still, there were spots where we had to pull aside and hang on to the roots to rest so as not to lose what we paddled through. On the way back? Talk about fast. Strong paddling up front me in back steering... around a fast bend and WHEEE! Airborne. Landed splat arms around a tree trunk. That must've been where I got the tick. Right in the center of my back where I did not see it for over a week. YUCK! I don't like ticks... :) thanks for a funny (now) memory.
Great tips, Shawn. Lived through one massive tick infestation a couple of years ago. It was awful. Thank goodness people and pets fared well.
We live in tick heaven. Very sorry to hear about your lab. The vet told us to put rubbing alcohol on a q tip and saturate the tick before removing it. The alcohol causes the tick to release its grip somewhat, and you can pull it off easier. Helps to prevent leaving any part of the tick behind. Great advice about the tweezer. Those critters give me the creeps.
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I am sorry Joan, I hit the remove comment button on your last post, it will disappear soon. I hate where that button is, I do this all the time, grrr. I am surprised he said to use this due to the ticks chances of spitting up when the alcohol is applied, thus infecting the host.
Very nice article my friend. We dont have to deal with this much in the lower keys thankfully.
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