If you’re wondering how to remove a tick from a dog with Vaseline, you’re in the right place. Ticks are an unavoidable nuisance that spread disease. Every year, experts report that this year will be particularly bad for ticks. In addition, they share the warning that the disease is spreading to new regions and becoming endemic.
This is because ticks can’t be completely repelled, even by the deadliest pharmaceuticals. So, how can you remove a tick with Vaseline?
To remove a tick with Vaseline, first, identify the tick. Then apply liberal amounts of Vaseline to it. After about 5 minutes, gently pull on the head of the tick using tweezers. Make sure you wear latex gloves before you start to avoid contamination.
Save the tick in case your dog gets sick. The easiest way is to freeze the tick in a bag labeled with the dog’s name and the date.
Before scrolling down this article, “How to Remove a Tick From a Dog With Vaseline,” check out these other helpful dog guides: How to Remove a Tick from a Dog Without Tweezers? and How To Clean Dog Eye Boogers Safely.
What Not to Do If Your Dog Has Ticks
If you’ve recently learned that your dog has ticks, here is some advice on what not to do.
- Don’t use your fingers to remove ticks. Make use of a tissue or paper towel if you want to do this. After removing, wash your hands using water and soap to clean them. You truly do not want tick guts or saliva on your hands. Moreover, remember to disinfect your dog’s bite wound.
- Don’t squeeze or stomp on a tick. This can cause the tick’s infected secretions to be forced out of its mouth. Both you and your dog are at an increased risk of infection from it.
- Don’t be concerned if the tick’s mouthpart remains inside your dog’s body. Sometimes when they are truly deeply ingrained, this can happen. It’s similar to getting a splinter; in a few days, it will simply come out.
- Don’t use a lit cigarette or hot match to burn the tick. This can also make them throw up.
- Don’t dispose of the tick in your garbage or in the drain. They can simply crawl out again.
How to Remove a Tick with Vaseline
In this section, we’ll describe step-by-step how you can remove a dog tick with Vaseline.
Tools you’ll need:
- A tick removal device or a pair of sharp tweezers
- Vaseline
- Rubber gloves
- Soap
- Water
Steps to Follow
Follow the steps below to safely remove a dog tick with Vaseline.
Step 1: Wear Gloves
Wear your latex gloves. Certain tick infestations can spread to people, however, this is uncommon. You might get an infection, for example, if you get the tick near a scrape.
Step 2: Examine Your Dog
Check your dog’s skin for any ticks that may be embedded there. Given that the bite site will appear enlarged, this is simple to check.
Examine your pet for more ticks, even their ears. Since they are so little, ticks can be almost anywhere. This is particularly true if you own a dog with thick hair, like a Yorkie, Lhasa Apso, Afghan Hound, or Shih Tzu.
Step 3: Apply Vaseline
Apply Vaseline to the tick around where it is attached to the dog’s skin, and then all over the tick’s body. This is because ticks can breathe through multiple places in their bodies. Removing a tick with Vaseline is supposed to smother the tick, and some ticks will release their grip on your dog during the process.
The goal is to either force the tick to emerge from your dog’s skin or break its hold on them. Wait for about 5 minutes. The tick should start wiggling as it gets uncomfortable.
Step 4: Remove Tick
Using the tick removal tool or tweezers, remove the tick after it has been suffocated. This procedure can be difficult if you are careless because if you tear the tick, its secretions could accidentally enter your dog’s blood.
Grab the tick precisely where it connects to the dog’s skin for the best effects. Avoid attempting to squash the body because doing so could harm your dog.
You might leave the tick’s mouthparts in the skin if you grab it too tightly. They oftentimes remove on their own like a splinter does, but they have the potential to grow into tick granulomas that must be removed surgically or with medication.
Take hold of the tick and begin pulling it back. Avoid trying to spin it in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction since doing so could also squash the tick.
Step 5: Smother the Tick
After the tick has been completely removed, use some Vaseline to further smother it. Put the tick in a labeled bag and freeze it in case it needs to be tested.
Step 6: Disinfect
Wash your hands as extensively as you can after washing the afflicted area with soap and water.
Use an antibiotic ointment like Polysporin, povidone-iodine solution, or chlorhexidine to clean the area. The ointments can be purchased without a prescription, but don’t forget to dilute them to lessen their concentration. Dilution instructions are always included on their labels.
Results
For the most part, suffocating ticks with Vaseline is not advised because it is not very effective. It may also cause the tick to slobber or vomit into your dog’s skin or bloodstream because of the Vaseline, which can spread illnesses or diseases.
Vaseline applied to the tick may also make it more slippery and challenging to grab. Alcohol is a great “home remedy” substitute.
Tips for Removing a Dog Tick Without Vaseline
Follow the tips below to effectively remove a dog tick.
1: Use Tick Removal Tools
If you don’t have something specifically designed to remove ticks, you can use anything flat and pointy, such as a credit card, butter knife, or guitar pick. It’s important to proceed with caution and gentleness so as not to disturb the tick.
To prevent your furry pet from being poisoned by a tick, it’s important to keep the tick as contained as possible.
2: Delay Killing the Tick Until Later
Don’t immediately kill the tick if you want to find out if it is contagious. Send it to your veterinarian for testing while keeping it in a jar with a tight lid and some grass.
If you don’t plan to get the tick tested immediately, freeze the tick in a well-labeled bag.
3: Remove the Mouthpiece
The tick’s “head,” as many people mistakenly believe, is actually its mouthparts or jaws. The mouthpieces have harpoon-like barbs that latch onto the host and allow the tick to feed.
If the tick’s mouthparts are left behind, try to remove them with sterile tweezers. If they are hard to get out, don’t worry; just leave it alone so that your dog’s skin can recover.
They are not as contagious as a real tick, according to the CDC. Your dog’s body will eventually reject and get rid of them. Nevertheless, for a week or so, pay particular attention to the bite area. Be on the lookout for symptoms of an infection such as a rash, redness, and swelling.
4: Try to Safely Remove Tick
Last but not least, avoid utilizing risky methods to get rid of the tick including burning it with a cigarette, wrapping cotton around it, and ripping it out with your fingernails. All of these merely irritate the tick and may have negative effects.
Dog Tick Diseases
Many diseases are carried by different ticks, each of which is local to a particular region. The most prevalent tick-borne illnesses and the areas where they are most frequently seen are listed below.
Lyme Disease (Borrelia Burgorferi)
The northeast and upper midwest of the US has the highest incidence of Lyme disease. Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh are currently seeing an endemic situation.
Lyme disease in dogs is sometimes difficult to detect. Symptoms in dogs can include fever, loss of appetite, low energy, lameness, stiffness, and discomfort in joints, likely from swelling.
It could take between 2-5 months for your dog to show more aggressive symptoms such as lameness and joint pain after contracting Lyme disease.
Erlichiosis (Erlichiosis Canis)
Dogs can contract Ehrlichiosis from infected ticks, most commonly from the brown dog tick. Symptoms that show up in the early stages of dogs that show symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, respiratory issues, weight loss, excessive bleeding, and sometimes neurological issues that reflect symptoms of meningitis.
Eastern and south-central US have the highest incidences of Ehrlichiosis.
Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilium or Anaplasma platyu)
Anaplasmosis can have mild to severe symptoms that include fever, low energy, lack of appetite, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, respiratory issues, seizures, and ataxia, which is the inability to move or control their muscles properly.
The Northeast and upper Midwest and the Pacific Coast have the highest incidence rates.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Rickettsia Rickettsii)
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or tick fever, is most common in Arkansas, Delaware, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
If your dog contracts tick fever from a tick, their symptoms may include fever, joint pain, coughing, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling, or depression.
Babesiosis (Babesia Microti)
Babesiosis is most commonly found in ticks in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.
Your dog may have Babesiosis if they show symptoms of lethargy, depression, lack of appetite, pale gums, fever, swollen lymph nodes, abnormally dark urine, jaundice, weight loss, wobbly gait, seizures, or neck pain.
American Canine Hepatozoonosis
American Canine Hepatozoonosis is a relatively uncommon but emerging disease that should be mentioned because it isn’t transmitted by tick bites but rather by dogs eating infected ticks instead.
A dog can contract this disease by either eating tick-infested prey or by removing ticks from their own body. It can be a very crippling condition. Thus, it’s crucial to detach ticks from your dogs prior to them doing so themselves.
The most common symptoms are fever, weight loss, and lethargy. This disease may be found throughout the southeast and central south of the United States.
How Long Do Ticks Survive in the Absence of a Host?
When removing a tick, it’s easy to accidentally drop it; in this situation, you may be wondering how thoroughly you should search for it. There is some positive news with deer ticks and other hard ticks that most often carry disease.
If the humidity level is lower than 90%, ticks can quickly dry out and perish. Most don’t live past 24 hours and frequently pass away within 8 hours. If they recently consumed a blood meal, they may be able to survive longer on moist garments in a laundry hamper for two to three days.
How about ticks on your clothes? Ticks can be killed by putting your clothing in the dryer for 5 minutes on high temperature. The water temperature has to be over 115°F to kill them if you wash your garments first.
Put the clothing in the dryer if a tick makes it through the wash cycle. The recommended drying time is 70 minutes on low heat or 50 minutes on high heat. This study made use of black-legged (deer) ticks; therefore, other ticks might behave differently.
The greatest tactic, of course, is to prevent ticks from ever getting on your dog in the first place. But it’s always important to take the time to frequently check them for ticks. Your dog has very little chance of contracting a tick-borne illness if you remove them right away.
Should You Use Tick Repellants on Your Dog?
Many chemical tick repellents can hurt your dog. They include insect-repelling spot-ons, sprays, and collars. These include names your veterinarian might recommend, including:
- Frontline
- Advantix
- Advantage
- Seresto (In June 2022, a US Congressional Subcommittee hearing is evaluating why harmful Seresto collars stay on the market) (In June 2022, a US Congressional Subcommittee hearing is reviewing why dangerous Seresto collars remain on the market)
These poisonous chemicals can have harmful effects on your dog. The more recent oral flea and tick preventives pose a very high danger. Giving your dog a nice chew every few months sounds quite practical, but these medications circulate from your dog’s bloodstream.
Once in the blood, they kill the insect by assaulting its neurological system. This implies that they might also pose a threat to your dog. Side effects of poisoning are:
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
These medications will remain in your dog’s bloodstream for a number of weeks or even months after they’ve been injected.
If your dog experiences a negative reaction, there is no way to eliminate it from his system. Using all-natural and organic tick repellents makes it much easier to prevent these adverse effects.
FAQs
Removing a tick with Vaseline, baby oil, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or a cotton ball covered in soap are common methods to get a tick to release. About 5 minutes after applying, the tick should start wiggling and will release when plucked with tweezers.
Some experts consider these methods controversial because they could cause the tick to throw up diseased blood while still attached to your dog.
Vaseline can aid in removing a tick from a dog by making the tick uncomfortable so it loosens its grip. Cover the tick in Vaseline and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The tick will start wiggling and can be removed by gripping its head with tweezers.
Ticks are common across the US, and many dogs get them every year. Most of the time, dogs will be fine. However, ticks are known for carrying and spreading many diseases. Sometimes they will show symptoms, and other times they won’t. Some of these diseases can even be fought by your dog’s immune system. Keep a careful eye on your dog during tick season and watch for any symptoms of being sick or any behavioral changes, lethargy, lameness, and lack of appetite.
Conclusion For “How to Remove a Tick From a Dog With Vaseline”
Although ticks are tiny and common, they can transmit devastating infections to dogs. It only makes sense to take all necessary precautions to remove a tick from your dog properly before it causes damage to its host. One precaution you can take is to learn how to remove a tick from a dog with Vaseline before tick season arrives.
The likelihood of spreading disease increases the longer you leave a tick on your dog. Avoid taking any chances. To keep them off of your dog’s skin, use preventative techniques.
In the days after removing the tick, keep an eye on your dog as frequently as you can. Many diseases carried by ticks have similar symptoms, such as fever, lameness, lack of appetite, and respiratory issues to name a few. During tick season, keep the tools you’ll need to deal with these pests quickly to keep your dog safe.
If you find this guide, “How to Remove a Tick From a Dog With Vaseline,” helpful, check out these other dog guides:
- 7 Rare Dog Diseases Every Owner Should Know About
- Best Flea and Tick Collars for Dogs
- How To Deworm a Puppy Naturally
You can learn more about this topic by watching “Safe and Easy Tick Removal, No Tweezers and No Pain” down below:
Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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