SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/dog-tick-removal

What is the right way to remove a tick still attached to your dog?

Use tweezers close to the skin and pull steadily.

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  1. Grip it close to the skin with tweezers and pull steadily ✔
  2. Smother it with petroleum jelly
  3. Burn it off with a match

Why: Tweezers close to the skin, with steady pressure, work best. Do not twist or crush the tick, and do not smother it with alcohol or petroleum jelly.

Huh, didn't know that: AVMA says smothering or burning a tick can make it release saliva into the wound.

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What happened when the dog went to the flea circus? He stole the show.
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References

Answer: Grip it close to the skin with tweezers and pull steadily. Tweezers close to the skin, with steady pressure, work best. Do not twist or crush the tick, and do not smother it with alcohol or petroleum jelly.

  1. AVMA, External parasites www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/external-parasites
    Avoid smothering a still-attached tick with alcohol or petroleum jelly
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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