Dog & cat health · Vet-reviewed guide

Ticks on Dogs Removal: How to Safely Remove a Tick Step by Step

There's a right way and several wrong ways to pull a tick off a dog. The wrong ways leave the head behind or squeeze the tick — both worth avoiding.

Quick answer: To safely remove a tick from a dog, grasp it with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible, then pull straight up with slow, steady pressure, do not twist, jerk, or squeeze the tick's body. The reason the method matters is that crushing or squeezing the tick can force its infected stomach contents into the bite, raising the risk of disease transmission.

Just as important is what not to do: skip the old folk methods of a lit match, petroleum jelly, or nail polish, which do not work and can make the tick regurgitate into the wound. After removal, clean the bite with soap and water, save the tick in a sealed bag in case your vet wants to identify it, and watch your dog for signs of illness over the next several weeks. This guide walks through the safe steps and the mistakes to avoid.

What you need

Fine-tipped, pointed tweezers or a proper tick-removal tool (a "tick twister" style hook works well and is gentler on squirmy pets), disposable gloves if you have them, a sealed bag or small container for the tick, and soap and water or rubbing alcohol to clean the bite afterward.² A second person to steady your dog helps a lot.

Step by step

1. Part the fur so you can clearly see the tick and the skin around it.
2. Grasp the tick at the head, as close to your dog's skin as possible, not by its fat body.¹
3. Pull straight up with slow, steady pressure until the skin tents and the tick releases. Do not twist or jerk with plain tweezers.
4. Check that you got all of it. If the head or mouthparts stay behind, don't dig aggressively; clean the area and call your vet if needed.²
5. Clean the bite with soap and water or a little rubbing alcohol, and wash your hands.
6. Save the tick in a sealed bag or container in case your vet wants to identify it.

What NOT to do

• Don't squeeze or crush the body, it can push infected fluid into the bite.¹
• Don't twist with regular tweezers, which can snap off the mouthparts in the skin.
• Don't use a lit match, petroleum jelly, nail polish, or alcohol on the attached tick, these old methods make the tick regurgitate and raise infection risk.²
• Don't use your fingers or fingernails, which can't grip close enough and squeeze the body.

After removal: watch and check

A small bump at the bite can persist for a few days and is usually normal. Watch it for spreading redness, swelling, or discharge, and watch your dog over the next few weeks for lameness, fever, lethargy, or loss of appetite, which can signal tick-borne illness.¹ Note the date you found the tick; a vet can run a blood test a few weeks later to check for exposure.

When to call the vet instead

Call your vet if the tick is in a sensitive spot like near the eye or inside the ear, if your dog won't hold still, if you can't remove it fully, or if any signs of illness appear later.² Do not give leftover antibiotics; whether treatment is needed is a vet's decision. For prevention going forward, see our flea and tick prevention guide.