True or False: A good hack for getting a tick off your pet is to cover it with petroleum jelly or nail polish.
Answer: False
If only such an easy trick worked! Unfortunately, though, “painting” a tick with any substance (petroleum jelly, nail polish, gasoline, lidocaine, etc.) is not a reliable, speedy or safe way to get a tick to detach. Another dicey and ineffective “hack” to avoid is applying heat to the tick with a match or hot nail.
The best thing for your pet is to get the tick out as quickly as possible before it can pass any diseases, and that means pulling the tick out manually. Here’s how you should do it:
1. Put on a pair of gloves. Ticks can pass diseases to people, too, so you should never contact the tick with your bare hands.
2. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a commercially available tick-removal device.
3. Part your pet’s hair so you can see right where the tick is inserted in the skin, and grab the tick as close to the skin as possible.
4. Pull upward with a steady, slow motion. Avoid jerking or twisting, which can make the tick’s head break off in the skin. If this happens, though, don’t worry! The spot will still heal with time.
5. Get rid of the tick by dropping it in alcohol, wrapping it tightly in tape or putting it in a sealed bag or container. Never crush a tick with your fingers, since its blood can carry diseases.
6. Lastly, clean the area of the tick bite with soap and water.
If you’re worried about doing this yourself, your VCA veterinary team would be happy to help!
