A client calls her veterinarian because she has found a tick on her dog and she is not sure how to remove it. Which of the following is the most appropriate instruction for tick removal?

The client should immediately remove the tick by grasping it with tweezers close to the dog’s skin and then pulling it steadily upwards.
The client should immediately remove the tick by grasping it with tweezers and twisting it to detach its mouthparts.
The client should immediately remove the tick by holding a hot match close to the tick, causing it to back out and safely extract its mouthparts.
The client should schedule an appointment to have the ticks safely removed by a trained staff member.

Dipterans with Biting Mouthparts

By

Charles M. Hendrix

, DVM, PhD, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University

Last full review/revision Aug 2013 | Content last modified Aug 2013

Blood-feeding dipterans can be classified based on which sexes feed on vertebrate blood and on food preference. In certain species of dipterans, only the females feed on vertebrate blood, which is required for egg laying; these species include black flies, sand flies, biting midges, mosquitoes, horse flies, and deer flies. In other species of blood-feeding dipterans, both male and female flies feed on vertebrate blood; these species include stable flies, horn flies, buffalo flies, tsetse flies, sheep keds, and hippoboscid or louse flies.

Overview of Flies

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Black Flies

Horse Flies and Deer Flies

Black Flies

Sheep Keds

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