I know I've seen this tread about tick removal, but what I need to know is whether or not should I take my son to the doctor for testing? We got it off from him and saved it in a ziplock bag with a date on it, just in case my son get sick from it and have the doctor to check it. Do I need to take it and my son to the doctor to test for Lyme Disease? Tick is bad around here, thank to new homes construction nearby. (ps: tick is the size of pencil tip - very small. I'm assuming it's deer tick, right?)
Yep, I just pulled one off the dog yesterday when I gave her a haircut. Just make sure you pulled all of it out of him, put some alchohol on it... should be fine.
Just keep an eye on the site. It may get red and a bit puffy (and itchy) for a few days. If you see any type of rash or fever, call the doc. We unfortunately pull several a year out of the family.
If the bite area develops a ring around it then you might want to see a doctor. If not, then don't worry.
I am not sure about around here, but call the health dept. They might want you to bring it in so they can test it for lyme. I did that when I took one off my kid. One request was that the head still be on. Hope this helps.
I would do a web search for Lyme disease so you know what symptoms to look for. There are other symptoms besides the red ring, I think there's fever etc too.
One more thing to watch for, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I know a child who got it 2 years ago right in good 'ol Joco. Virus like symptoms. High fever, no energy or appetite. Then comes the rash, which in most cases spreads quickly. Was misdiagnosed several times within three days, finally Wake Med fiqured it out and after a four day hospital stay, all was well.
Tick Novice here... How do you pull a tick off/out so as to get the head? What if you leave the head behind, how do you get it out? How do you know you have a tick on you? Do they hurt like a stinging pain or just an itchiness?
With tweezers, grasp tick as close to the skin as possible and pull out. They say not to squeeze it too tight, but you must grab it tight enough to pull it out. I think the key to getting the whole tick out is grasping the head with the tweezers real close to the skin, without pinching your skin, of course, but as close as you can!! I’ve never had any part of a tick remain in the skin, and I believe I've pulled out hundreds over time. The way I know I have a tick is that it always itches me! Always. Sometimes my children don’t even notice that they have a tick, I will just spot the little bugger on them. It doesn’t itch them, so I guess we are all different in that regard. Or maybe the itching or not depends on the tick and how long it’s been there. The best way to protect yourself is to check yourself daily for ticks. It can be a pain, but you do get used to it. With all the diseases you can get from ticks, I believe it is well worth the time and effort.
Last week while listening to the Showgram with Bob someone called in and mentioned to put nail polish remover to a q-tip and place that on the tick. He said they let go. I remembered this Friday when my dog had a tick. The rascal did not let go but he moved enough for us to be able to grab him tight and pull him out without a problem. And we didn't pull any of the dog's hair. Just something to keep in mind....
Dr. OZ on Oprah said you dont have to get the head out... that it is a myth. But I cant find anything about it on line to be sure. He said something about the toxins we worry about being in their stomach so the head would just die off etc. I had always heard otherwise. If you google tick removal there are detailed directions of what to do/not do.
A dr. told me to put vaseline on the tick. They can't breath so they back out. My son had a tick and the head got stuck in his skin so the dr. scrapped the skin away till they got the head out. They also said it is better if the tick is alive.
