We recommend a demonstration of how to remove a tick from your pet. We know it can seem like quite a daunting task, especially when you are aware of all the dangers of removing the tick incorrectly:

• The reason that ticks are so difficult to remove is because the tick sinks its mouth parts (rostrum) into the skin of the person/animal, and it has backward pointing spikes that anchor it into the skin. If you just pull the tick out, you quite often leave the rostrum behind in the skin, which can lead to inflammation and infection.

• If you use your fingers or tweezers to remove the tick, you risk squeezing the contents of the tick back into the blood stream of the animal the tick is feeding on. This can cause disease and infection.

We recommend using a ‘tick twister’ or ‘tick hook’ to remove any ticks from your pet (or yourself!) as these eliminate the problems described above. They are very simple to use:

• Each pack comes with two sizes of hook, depending on the size of tick that you have. Select the size that you need.

• Slide the hook along the skin of the animal so that the tick becomes trapped in the ‘fork’ of the tick hook.

• Gently twist the hook anti-clockwise, taking care not to pull upwards. By twisting, the backward spikes of the rostrum bend into the axis of the rotation, which means that the tick will come out without the need for pulling.

• Dispose of the tick and wash the tick hook, ready for using the next time!

If you find a tick on your pet and would like a demonstration of how to use the tick hook, give us a call and pop your pet down to see one of our nurses, who will happily show you how to remove the tick safely. This is free of charge.