This is what I removed from my 6 week old puppy. I believe it's a tick. 20 have been removed so far. The puppy still has more. The internet suggested removing them with tweezers. But the puppy is under extreme discomfort and doesn't want to be held down. Morever, he cries a lot and just doesn't let us do it. We've tried treats and toys but they just don't work. Is there any way to get rid of them that is easier for the puppy?
Side note: Im in the woods with my 8 year old Yella Lab every morning at sunup for an hour. We used to use one of those topical tick/flea oils, but switched to Trifexis about 5 years ago, because he's a swimmer. Tick checks daily. With the oils, I pulled a little more than 2 ticks a week off him. Since the switch, it's less than half that. A few times a year I miss one, and have to snatch one of those gross and bloated blobs off him.
After his first annual, I decided to have a Lyme disease shot added, which I have continued throughout his life. The extra layer of protection is nice.
He's likely anxious because he doesn't know what is going on. He might also be taking his cues from you if you are worrying while removing them. Keep breathing. Talk to him in a reassuring voice. Take breaks in between removals. Give him affection (rather than treats) and move slowly. Check him thoroughly all over - there's nowhere they won't settle in for a meal. Check the ears, in between toes, his butthole: all of him.
You might consider something like a "tick twister." For what it is worth, I've lived with outdoor dogs and tick checks were a daily routine. Tweezers can work, but if the ticks are large enough, I just pull them by hand. You do want to make sure that you completely get the entire head out, otherwise the skin can get infected.
Note that there are "Deer ticks" and "Dog ticks". "Deer ticks" are the smaller ones with the red pouches. "Dog ticks" are the bigger ones with dark brown pouches that have a white marking. Here's a guide for telling which kind.
Deer ticks are the ones that carry lyme disease, so be wary and wash your hands and instruments after getting rid of them. I am told by vets and my doctors that to get lime disease from a tick, it usually needs to be attached to a human for 48-72 hours. A bite does not mean you've gotten lime disease, but it pays to be safe!
Your vet should be able to tell you when it is usually "tick season" in your area. I've always noticed them more of a problem right after it rains and the ground is wet. They'll crawl up onto long blades of grass and hop on passers-by.
Lastly, it'd be good to check in with your vet about puppy shampoo, something for the skin where be was bit, and, puppy approved tick repellant options. Lyme disease in dogs is also an issue, so do check in with your vet regarding what to be wary of such as lameness, fever, lethargy, and enlarged lymph nodes. As I understand tho, a deer tick with Lyme disease needs to be attached to the dog for 48hrs for the transmission of the disease.
I don't know that your dog is necessarily in pain from the bites. A tick bite does hurt when they bite a human. It can be a sharp pain, but some people don't notice. Dogs have very different skin than humans too, but, no matter what, consult your vet about remediation, prevention and detecting lyme disease and how to avoid ticks in the future. Hope your puppy feels better soon!
You need to apply flea/tick treatment to skin and I suggest Frontline plus every one month
FRONTLINE Plus has 2 secret weapons: fipronil and (S)-methoprene. Once FRONTLINE Plus is applied, this combo stores itself in the oil glands in your pet's skin. It then self-distributes continuously for 1 month to your pet's hair and skin through the hair follicles. Fleas or ticks that come in contact with your pet are dead meat. Source - frontline.com
Note: many youtube videos describe how to use the topical treatment on pets its very easy
Your vet may suggest using an annual dose of Ivermectin
6 ug/kg for heartworm prevention 300 ug/kg for treatment of sarcoptic mange 400-600 ug/kg for treatment of demodectic mange. Source - petmd.com
Which is very important to protect your puppy from another infection which may come with ticks and fleas.
Update: As requested, a reference from WebMD pet section topical treatment as mentioned above is recommended and it's easy to be applied by pet owners.
reference for a well-known brand name topical treatment MERCK Animal Health
Just to follow up for anyone else looking to cure a puppy from ticks. Since most tick repellents could have adverse effects on a puppy it might be a good idea to use a topical agent such as diatomaceous earth. Check out this fact sheet and this article by Dr.Axe
Ugh ticks are terrible!!! I tend to try and treat my animals as naturally as possible. SO far this summer I have been using Dogs Naturally's all natural tick repellent. I can say that so far is it has worked amazingly well. I would recommend trying some of these recipes before you give anything from the store to your dog. These are gentle and you can rub them into your puppy without scaring him with a spray or a pill. The essential oil is what I use and my dog loves it.,
I recommend that you avoid the harsh chemicals for flea/tick preventatives like Nexgard. A lot of people have experienced bad reactions from their dogs and even death. The good news is that there are so many natural tick repellents that actually do work.
