 Ticks Ticks attach themselves to dogs, thrust their fishhook-shaped mouths into the animal’s skin, and nourish themselves by sucking their canine-host’s blood. This usually occurs when a dog walks through a tall grassy area, or lies down to rest. Irritated by the tick’s action, a dog will scratch itself repeatedly, often breaking the skin and making the animal more susceptible to infections. Ticks can also transmit serious diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. A tick may feed on a dog for several days before falling off the coat. Ticks that are found on a dog should be removed promptly, since this will decrease the chance of infection. (Research has shown that it can take up to one day for a tick to transmit enough infectious material to a dog to cause an illness.) Always wear gloves when removing ticks to keep from becoming infected. If a dog has a few isolated ticks, remove them by dabbing alcohol on the skin, then gently pulling the insects off with tweezers. Once the ticks have been removed, put them in a jar of alcohol to kill them. Do not squeeze the ticks too hard. This will break the tick’s body, and release the microscopic parasites inside. Dogs that have more than a few isolated ticks should be bathed with a flea and tick dip available at PSP. Before applying the dip, give the dog a bath with a mild pet shampoo, being sure to wear gloves. After rinsing the shampoo, while the dog is still wet, pour the dip over the coat. Let the dip drip dry on the coat to kill ticks that are embedded in the skin. Things NOT to do if a dog has ticks: - Do not pour gasoline on the tick to kill it. These methods seldom work to remove ticks, and they are more likely to cause added problems for a dog.
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