What Is a ‘Dog Bean’ (Tick) and How to Treat It

1 Removing and Preventing Ticks

I. How to treat ticks on a dog

1. Cover the tick’s head with alcohol to numb it, then, while it is dazed, pull it off the pet and crush it.

2. You can also touch the tick’s body with a lit cigarette. In pain, it will pull its head out. Then quickly remove it with tweezers and burn it completely – avoid crushing it, or the eggs inside may spray everywhere and survive in the right conditions.

3. If a tick stays attached for a long time it causes the dog real distress. When there are many ticks, a non-professional may not be able to remove them safely, so take the dog to a veterinary hospital. The vet may give the dog oral medication first, then use sprays and spot-ons to kill the ticks, and disinfect the bitten skin again after removal.

4. If the bitten skin is red or losing hair, use a skin spray with antibacterial action to soothe it and prevent bacterial infection and dermatitis from the drop in immunity after the bite.

II. How to prevent ticks

Unlike cats, dogs cannot stay indoors all the time, so they face a higher risk of ticks. A dog that goes out daily to exercise and relieve itself can pick up ticks on every trip. Before going out, apply a little essential balm to the coat as a simple repellent.

Also, keep up regular deworming. Dogs can pick up not only ticks but also fleas, lice, and mites. These parasites cause itching and skin disease, and in large numbers can lead to weight loss, poor nutrition, lethargy, reduced appetite, heavy shedding, redness, rashes, and inflammation. Use a dedicated external parasite treatment such as fipronil spot-on or abamectin pour-on to prevent and kill common external parasites.

Tip: Check your dog for ticks after every outing, especially in grassy areas.