How to remove a tick from a dog, step by step

Reading time 6 min · Level 1: Why the symptom happens

The short answer: Grip the tick as close to the skin as you can, with a tick remover or tweezers, and pull it straight out in one steady movement. Do not put anything on it first. That only keeps the tick attached for longer. If the head stays behind it is rarely dangerous, and the body pushes out the remains within a few days. What really matters is speed, because the risk of infection grows the longer the tick is feeding. If your dog becomes tired, feverish or sore in the joints in the days and weeks after a bite, it should see a vet.

Urgent, but no reason to panic

The common tick, Ixodes ricinus, is found across much of Sweden but is most abundant in the south. It becomes active once daytime temperatures reach four to five degrees, and the season is usually counted from March to November¹. In milder areas it can in practice run almost all year². The tick waits in grass and undergrowth and grabs the coat as the dog brushes past. It then often wanders around for a few hours before deciding where to bite¹. That is your best chance. A tick that is still crawling in the coat has not had time to pass anything on.

The risk of a dog falling ill from a single tick bite is small¹. But pathogens can enter the skin while the tick feeds, and the risk rises the longer it stays attached². So the rule is simple: remove it as soon as you see it, with whatever tool you have to hand.

How to remove the tick, step by step

1. Part the coat so you can see exactly where the tick is and grip only the tick, not the hair or skin around it³.
2. Grip as close to the skin as possible. With a hook or a loop, slide the tool under the tick. With tweezers, hold it around the head, not around the swollen body².
3. Pull straight out with a steady, calm movement. No jerking.
4. Look at the tick. If you can see legs and mouthparts, it all came out. If a piece is missing, read the next section.
5. Wash the bite site and your hands.

The tool matters less than many people think. Tweezers are easy to use but can crush the tick if you squeeze too hard. A loop tightens around the head by itself, and for small ticks that are hard to grip a hook often works best². If you have no tool, fingers will do³. There is, however, no point in applying oil, butter or alcohol before pulling¹. The tick does not let go because of it, and the time it stays attached is what counts.

If the head stays in

Sometimes the mouthparts or the front legs stay in the skin. This usually does not increase the risk of tick-borne disease. You can try to remove the remains with tweezers, but it is not necessary. They tend to come away with a small scab after a few days¹. Do not dig in the skin. That does more harm than the remains do.

Some redness, swelling or itching at the bite site for a couple of days is normal. If it looks irritated you can clean it with chlorhexidine solution from the pharmacy twice a day for two to three days. If it has not healed within one to two weeks, or the inflammation gets worse, your vet should take a look².

What a tick can pass on to your dog

The tick-borne diseases found in dogs in Sweden are anaplasmosis, borreliosis (Lyme disease) and TBE¹.

Anaplasmosis is the tick-borne infection that most often causes symptoms in dogs². The bacterium is common: when researchers examined blood samples from 588 Swedish dogs, 17.7 percent had antibodies to it, with fewer cases in the north⁵. Most infected dogs never become ill. In those that do, fever, a general loss of condition and sore muscles and joints are the most common signs. After treatment from the vet the dog is usually lively again within one to two days, and long-term problems are not expected⁴. Symptoms tend to appear one to two weeks after the bite⁶.

Borrelia was found in 3.9 percent of the dogs in the same study⁵. Roughly five percent of infected dogs become ill², and AniCura points out that the evidence that borrelia causes disease in dogs at all is now considered weak¹.

TBE can infect dogs but it is very unusual. The signs are then unsteadiness, neck pain and sometimes seizures or paralysis¹.

If you travel to southern Europe there is also the brown dog tick, which spreads diseases we do not have in Sweden¹. Talk to your vet before the trip.

When to see a vet

The same day if, after a tick bite, your dog becomes lethargic or clearly tired, runs a fever, seems unsteady, has seizures or shows obvious pain in joints and muscles¹. Mention that the dog had a tick, even if it was a week or two ago.

Within a few days if the bite site becomes pus-filled, swells more instead of less, or has not healed within one to two weeks². The same goes if your dog starts limping in a way that comes and goes.

What you do not need to do is take a blood test on a healthy dog just because it had a tick. Many healthy dogs have antibodies to anaplasma, and according to SVA, the Swedish National Veterinary Institute, such a test tells you nothing of value⁴.

What you can do yourself

Make the evening check a habit. Head, ears, neck, armpits, groin and between the toes. Feel with your fingertips. A tick that has attached feels like a small lump or scab on the skin¹.

Keep a tick remover where you need it. One in the hall, one in your jacket pocket, one in the car.

Talk to your vet or pharmacy about tick medicine. The products with scientifically documented effect against ticks are spot-ons, chewable tablets and collars sold through pharmacies, and several of them need a prescription. None of them gives one hundred percent protection, so the coat check is still needed¹.

Think of the cat. Some tick products for dogs are highly toxic to cats. Never use the dog's product on your cat, and keep the animals apart until a spot-on has dried².

Ask how bathing affects your product. Tick collars, for example, should be removed when the dog swims or is bathed². If you wash your dog often, ask the pharmacy what applies to the product you have chosen.

Frequently asked questions

Should you twist the tick when you remove it?

Swedish animal clinics describe the simplest method: grip close to the skin and pull straight out. Some hooks are designed to be turned, and then you follow the tool's instructions. What matters is a grip close to the skin and not squeezing the body.

How long after a tick bite can a dog become ill?

With anaplasmosis, symptoms usually appear one to two weeks after the bite. Keep an extra eye on your dog during that time and mention the bite if you see a vet.

Is it dangerous if the head stays in?

No, usually not. The body pushes the remains out within a few days. Keep the area clean and contact your vet if a sore develops that does not heal within one to two weeks.

Does my dog need testing after a tick bite?

Not if it is healthy. Tests are taken when the dog has symptoms, and then it is the vet who decides which.

That was the short answer. If you have a question about your own pet, email us at info@herbiovet.se. We reply within one working day.