If you’ve got a dog aboard, you’ve probably already had to deal with tick removal. Even with Paz’s flea and tick repellant, she gets a few every year.
And, frankly, both Dave and I have occasionally picked up one while hiking. We learned to always checked both Paz (our wee dog) and ourselves. I had always thought of ticks as being in the woods and it never dawned on me that they could be in the deserts of Baja California . . . but they were.
Old Method of Tick Removal
The first time I found a tick on Paz, I pulled out the wilderness first aid book onboard. It suggested an appalling method for removing a tick. Holding a match to the hind end of a tick buried in dog fur just didn’t seem like a good idea! The alternate method of rubbing alcohol and tweezers didn’t work too well, either (we were in the Sea of Cortez with only a tiny fishing village nearby — no vet or extra supplies handy).
A New Way to Get Rid of Ticks
Several months later, we made an extended trip back to the US to see family. While visiting Dave’s son in tick-prone New England, I saw a tick puller hanging by the cash register at a store we were in and quickly bought it. I figured that it couldn’t be worse than what we’d been doing!
The first time I used it, convinced me. It removed the whole tick easily — no body parts left behind, nothing crushed and no pain for Paz. The only problem was sometimes getting it into place through her fur. And yes, while it is marketed for dogs, it works just as well on people. We know this for a fact. (This one is called “Ticked Off” and if you can’t get the better one below, it’s still a good choice.)
A friend just recently showed me a new improved design that works just as well but is easier to work through fur. It’s called the Tick Twister — I couldn’t find one at the local Petco and our vet doesn’t carry it, but it’s available on Amazon for $6 to $7.
Great addition to the dog’s first aid kit . . . or yours!
FOLLOW UP: Reader Diane suggested the Tick Key, which she thinks works even better. Here’s the link for it:
And the neat thing about the Tick Key is that it hangs on a key ring.So it’s easy to keep with you (you can also hang it off a day pack pretty easily).
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Trish says
I LOVE my Tick Key, and do have it on my key ring so it’s always with me. It’s thin and light and comes in several colors. Most importantly, it’s very effective at removing embedded ticks (which can cause Lyme disease).
Trish
Nova Scotia
Connie McMartin says
I should add that if you use regular tweezers as opposed to a tick tool like this, you should never twist in those cases, but pull straight out and very slowly (may be obvious to some but I have been shocked at how few people know about it – I still know people who think it is okay to burn or smother – no no!). Get as close to the mouth as possible and not the body where you can squeeze bacteria right into your blood.
The Boat Galley says
OWWW!
The Boat Galley says
Yep, son retired from the Army and he and his wife and 6 kids moved there in the last year.
Joan Peterman Baldwin says
We live in and love WV but the sea is calling. In two years we hope to be live aboards!
The Boat Galley says
Our experience is that the scrape off method doesn’t work, but it may be that Paz has such curly hair that it’s tough to get down to the skin with anything as big as a credit card.
Becky Croston says
Ahhhh… good to know! We never had ticks be any issue here on our property, but two years ago we ran our springer on a long lead on a biking/ walking trail with huge scotch broom everywhere, in bloom. The ticks go from birds to the blossoms, then jump onto warm blooded animals! We took three off our pup while the ticks were still crawling! ick!
David Grimm says
We’ve been using Trifexi for years. Tent camping in all sorts of places from Wyoming to Texas to N, Carolina and our Yarkie has only had 2 ticks and they never bit in,
Mindee McGeary Cobb says
I’ve been using Revolution for years and it’s worked while we lived in Florida and Texas. Never saw a single tick in12 years. Now that we are traveling, I’ll check Trifexi. Thanks!
Carolyn Shearlock says
I am so glad to hear that! Makes my day!
Pam Dean says
Yes, sounds silly but I’ve seen this work.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Yes, I know that’s one of the ways to remove a tick and tried it once. But frankly, I’m not wild on burning my dog or myself. I’ll stick with the pullers.
Tony says
you can also get a tick remover from Lee Valley here in Canada. just Google the name and search for tick remover. they ship anywhere and with the Cdn $ heading to the trash can it’s a great price for my US neighbours.