How to Remove a Paralysis Tick

Paralysis ticks, which are most prevalent on the East Coast of Australia, not only suck blood, they inject a toxic substance into their host animal. This toxin attacks the central nervous system and causes paralysis hours or days after the tick bite. The best way to deal with paralysis ticks is to use a tick preventative solution, such as commercial sprays. But when a paralysis tick is present on a pet, it is important to know how to remove it correctly.

Things You'll Need

• Small jar
• Alcohol
• Latex gloves
• Cotton balls
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Tweezers
• Tick remover
• Antibiotic cream

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Instructions

• 1

  Fill a small jar with alcohol.

• 2

  Pull latex gloves onto your hands to protect yourself from germs and bacteria.

• 3

  Hold the animal firmly, but keep it calm. Have a friend help if necessary.

• 4

  Clean the animal's skin around the tick to kill bacteria with a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide.

• 5

  Locate the tick's head and grasp it with tweezers or a tick remover close to the animal's skin. Be careful not to pinch the animal's skin.

• 6

  Press against the skin and rock the tick's head back and forth with gentle pressure until it pulls from the skin.

• 7

  Drop the tick in the jar filled with alcohol and label the jar with the date and time the tick was removed. This could help the veterinarian identify the tick and help with diagnosis if the pet becomes ill.

• 8

  Disinfect the area where the tick was removed with a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide and apply an antibiotic cream.

• 9

  Watch for signs of tick poisoning in your pet for the next several days including changes in behavior, loss of appetite, vomiting, change in the sound of, or inability to bark or meow, weakness or stiffness in the legs. Seek immediate veterinary care if any signs are present and take the removed tick along.

• 10

  Check the tick site daily for at least three days. Pieces of the head left in the skin could cause a small red bump to appear. If it doesn't go away in two or three days, or if other signs of infection are present, seek veterinary care.