What to Do Immediately When You Find a Tick on Your Dog — Safe Removal and Emergency Response

Infection/ParasitesQ&AMeongsiljang Veterinary Advisory Board

This guide covers everything pet owners need to know for emergency tick removal: how to safely and calmly remove a tick found on your dog during a walk, what actions to absolutely avoid, and the warning signs to monitor after removal.

What Should You Do First When You Find a Tick on Your Dog?

A pet owner discovers a tick on their dog’s neck after a walk and parts the fur to get a closer look.

Dog ticks are external parasites that attach to your dog’s skin in grassy areas or along walking paths, feed on blood, and can transmit various vector-borne diseases. The most important rule is not to forcefully yank the tick off. Ticks anchor their head (mouthparts) firmly into the skin, so pulling too quickly can cause the head to break off and remain embedded, potentially leading to inflammation or infection. Instead, use a tick-removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, then pull steadily and straight out with consistent pressure until the tick is fully removed. After removal, carefully monitor your dog’s condition for several days to several weeks (up to a month, if necessary), as the incubation period for tick-borne diseases can be long.

What Kinds of Ticks Attach to Dogs?

Most ticks that attach to dogs belong to the hard tick family (Ixodidae), characterized by their tough dorsal shield. In Korea, commonly reported species include the Asian long-clawed tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), the dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), and the Japanese hard tick (Haemaphysalis japonica). Some of these species are known to transmit infectious diseases such as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS). These ticks typically wait in grassy areas, leaf litter, or along the edges of walking paths, then attach to warm, thinly furred areas on your dog, such as the legs, belly, inside the ears, neck, and groin. Once they begin feeding, they swell to the size of a soybean, which can easily lead to them being mistaken for moles, warts, or cysts. Since ticks are visible to the naked eye at all life stages, you can find them by carefully inspecting your dog.

Safe Tick Removal — Step-by-Step Checklist

Item	What to do	Points of caution
Step 1 — Preparation	Prepare a dedicated tick removal tool, gloves, disinfectant, and a sealed container	No bare hands; ordinary tweezers risk breaking off the head
Step 2 — Locate	Part the fur to find where the tick's head is embedded in the skin	Recommend one assistant to keep the dog from moving
Step 3 — Removal	Grasp the part closest to the skin (the head end) and pull slowly straight out	Do not twist or yank
Step 4 — Disinfection	Disinfect the bite site and store the tick in a sealed container	Keeping it for 1–2 weeks allows it to be used for testing
Step 5 — Observation	Observe for 24 hours to 2 weeks for fever, decreased appetite, and lethargy	If abnormal signs appear, visit the clinic with the tick

Reference: recommended procedure from the ectoparasite chapter of the BSAVA veterinary dermatology textbook

How to Safely Use Specialized Tick Removal Tools

The Tick Twister is a specialized tool designed with a hook shape to securely grasp the tick’s body close to the skin. Compared to standard tweezers, it allows for a more stable grip near the skin surface, significantly reducing the risk of the tick’s mouthparts breaking off and remaining embedded. Using it is simple: gently slide the hook between the tick’s body and the skin, keep the tool as close to the skin as possible, and slowly pull straight out with steady pressure until the tick releases on its own. This method of slow, steady traction is also recommended in veterinary guidelines. Avoid sudden, forceful pulling or twisting upward, as this can cause the mouthparts to remain in the skin. For more information, check out our Dog Tick Prevention Medication Comparison Guide.

The correct way to use a tick-removal tool: slowly twist and extract ticks embedded in your dog’s skin.

Tick Removal Methods to Absolutely Avoid

Most so-called home remedies are actually dangerous. Cauterizing with a lighter or match can burn your dog’s skin and may irritate the tick, increasing the risk that saliva or bodily fluids containing pathogens will be forced into the bite site. Smothering the tick with alcohol, petroleum jelly, or cooking oil only slowly irritates it and does not follow the textbook-recommended method of using a dedicated tool or forceps to gently and steadily pull the tick straight out. Pulling it off with bare hands can leave the mouthparts embedded in the skin, leading to inflammation, abscesses, and secondary infections. Crushing the tick with your fingernails is also prohibited.

Post-Removal Wound Care and Tick Storage

After removing a tick, a small red spot or slight swelling may remain at the bite site. Gently clean the area with a veterinary-approved antiseptic such as chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine, and monitor your dog for one to two days to prevent licking. Do not kill the removed tick; instead, store it in a sealed container (or a plastic bag sealed with tape) along with alcohol for one to two weeks. This preserved specimen can be used by your veterinarian for species identification and testing if a tick-borne disease is suspected.

Gently wiping a dog's skin wounds with a veterinary disinfectant after removing ticks.

Tick-Borne Diseases — Key Warning Signs to Know

Ticks don’t just suck blood—they can also transmit various infectious diseases. These are the key warning signs pet owners should watch for: - High fever: A temperature of 39.5°C or higher lasting more than 24 hours - Lethargy: Difficulty getting up and reluctance to go for walks compared to usual behavior - Loss of appetite: Refusing favorite food and treats - Pale gums and conjunctiva: A sign of anemia (suggestive of babesiosis) - Blood in urine or stool: An emergency—seek veterinary care immediately - Petechiae: Small red spots on the abdomen or gums (indicating thrombocytopenia)

When to Visit the Vet Immediately

If the tick’s head remains embedded in the skin after removal, or if the bite site becomes increasingly swollen and starts oozing, stop attempting home treatment and visit a veterinarian. Additionally, if fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, jaundice, or blood in the urine appear within days to weeks (up to two months or more for Lyme disease) after removal, suspect tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, or SFTS. Symptoms of anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis typically emerge 1–3 weeks after infection, while Lyme disease symptoms may take 2–5 months to appear, so allow ample time for observation. Bringing the saved tick to the clinic can greatly assist with diagnosis.

Daily Prevention to Avoid Reinfestation

Once a dog has been bitten by ticks, it is highly likely to be exposed again in the same walking environment. Please ensure you administer an external parasite preventive (spot-on or chewable) once a month without fail. After walks, it is important to develop the habit of manually checking the neck, inside the ears, the armpits of the front legs, the groin, and between the toes. Avoid areas with tall grass and piles of fallen leaves, and be especially thorough with inspections during the peak activity seasons of spring and autumn.

After a walk, the owner carefully checks the dog’s ears, the back of its neck, and the spaces between its toes.

Reviewed by a veterinarian

Dr. Tony — Punnawat Phongkittirak

Veterinarian

A veterinarian who majored in veterinary medicine at Khon Kaen University, Thailand, and completed the IVSA program at North Carolina State University in the United States. Drawing on clinical experience at animal hospitals, he works in the pet healthcare field and is dedicated to building a digital care environment that connects pet parents with veterinarians.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was removing a tick and its head got stuck in my pet’s skin. What should I do?

Don’t try to dig it out forcefully; leave it alone and head to the clinic. Picking at it can lead to secondary infections or abscesses. Your veterinarian will safely remove it using sterile instruments and prescribe antibiotics if necessary.

Is it normal for the area bitten by a tick to become swollen?

It’s normal for the area to look slightly red and mildly swollen for 1–2 days after removal. However, if the swelling worsens or persists beyond 3 days, or if you notice pus or discharge, it may be infected. If your dog keeps licking or scratching the site, put on an Elizabethan collar and visit your veterinarian.

Can ticks still attach to my pet even after applying preventive medication?

Preventive medications don’t completely block ticks from feeding. Instead, they quickly kill or dislodge ticks after they start feeding, significantly reducing the risk of tick-borne diseases. That’s why it’s important to combine preventive treatments with post-walk checks.

Can I remove ticks from my cat using the same method?

Although the application method is the same, dog-specific external parasite medications—especially those containing permethrin—are lethal to cats. Never use dog products on cats, and always ensure you are using a product specifically formulated for felines.

How many days should I monitor my pet after a tick bite?

Monitor your pet’s condition for at least two weeks, and ideally up to one month. Vector-borne diseases such as babesiosis and Lyme disease have long incubation periods, so symptoms like fever and lethargy often appear one to three weeks after exposure.

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References

[1] BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Dermatology, 4th Edition, Chapter on Ectoparasites

[2] Principles and Practices of Canine and Feline Clinical Parasitic Diseases, Chapter 7 & 13

[3] 수의피부과학 교과서 — 외부기생충 챕터