What eventually happens when you dont remove a tick from a dog?
A tick will drink blood until it is completely engorged. It then typically comes off or hitches a ride until its either hungry again or finds a new host–like you. Ticks can carry lymes disease and cause a variety of infections. If your dog is not vaccinated for lymes disease, I’d recommend calling your local vet. Do not attempt to pull or scrape the tick off as you risk its mouth parts breaking off under the skin. The best way to remove the tick from your dog’s skin is to cover the tick with Vaseline/petroleum jelly. This will suffocate the tick and cause it to withdraw. The only problem is it usually gets stuck in the grease and you will need to wipe it off and clean the dogs fur (I use dish soap as it is a good grease cutter–be sure to rinse very well and then rewash with an appropriate dog shampoo). If the site where the tick bit becomes swollen or red, it has become infected and should be treated by your veterinarian with the appropriate medications or antibiotics. Don’t mess wit
