How to Remove Ticks from Your Dog Safely: Step-by-Step Guide for India

In tropical and subtropical climates like India, ticks are not just a nuisance — they carry serious, potentially fatal diseases. Ehrlichiosis and babesiosis are the two most common tick-borne diseases in Indian dogs. Both attack the blood cells and can be fatal if caught late. Tick season in India is essentially year-round, with peaks during and after monsoon.

What you need: Fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool, rubbing alcohol or Betadine, gloves. 1. Put on gloves. Tick blood can carry pathogens. 2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible with tweezers. 3. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist, jerk, or squeeze the body. 4. If the mouthparts break off, try to remove them with tweezers. If you cannot, leave them — the skin will push them out naturally. 5. Clean the bite area with Betadine or rubbing alcohol. 6. Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet or placing it in a sealed bag with rubbing alcohol. Do NOT crush it with your fingers.

- Do not burn the tick with a match or lighter — this causes the tick to regurgitate into the wound, increasing disease transmission - Do not apply nail polish, petroleum jelly, or oil to "suffocate" the tick — same regurgitation risk - Do not squeeze the tick's body — this pushes infected fluids into your dog - Do not pull with your bare fingers

Watch your dog closely for 2-3 weeks after any tick bite: - Fever (nose feels hot and dry, lethargy) - Loss of appetite - Pale gums (check by pressing the gum — it should return to pink within 2 seconds) - Dark-coloured urine (red or brown) - Swollen lymph nodes - Lameness or joint pain - Bleeding from nose or gums - Extreme lethargy — the dog does not want to move

- Spot-on treatments (Fipronil/Frontline): Applied monthly between shoulder blades. Effective and widely available. Costs Rs 300-600 per dose. - Tick collars (Seresto or similar): Last 6-8 months. More convenient but more expensive upfront. - Oral tablets (Bravecto, NexGard, Simparica): Extremely effective. One tablet lasts 1-3 months depending on the product. Requires vet prescription. - Spray treatments: Good for heavy infestations. Used as an immediate knockdown before starting preventive treatment.

Killing ticks on your dog is only half the battle. Ticks lay thousands of eggs in carpets, cracks in walls, garden soil, and kennel areas. - Wash all bedding, blankets, and soft toys in hot water - Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture thoroughly - Spray tick-prone areas with a pet-safe environmental spray - In gardens, keep grass short and remove leaf litter - In severe infestations, professional pest control may be needed

During and after Indian monsoons, tick populations explode. Check your dog daily — run your hands through the fur, especially around ears, between toes, under the collar, in the groin area, and around the tail base. These warm, hidden spots are where ticks attach.

When you find and remove a tick, log it in Omelo with the date. Set a reminder to watch for symptoms over the next 2-3 weeks. If your dog develops any signs of tick-borne disease, you will have the exact timeline — which helps your vet enormously.