[BigBlackDogGal]

Last night I found a tick on the side of my dog's face. He gets a dose of Frontline every month, but this one must have snuck by. It was dead, but big and whitish and inflated. I used a Kleenex to pull it off (after doing some research it seems that I should have twisted counter-clockwise or used another method) but 12 hours later he still has a bump where the tick was. It seems a tiny bit red but he doesn't seem bothered by it.

How long should I wait to see if the bump goes away before I see a vet? When I pulled the tick off I could see its little legs and stuff at the top but is it possible that the head is still in?

 

[RonE]

If the head is still in there, it will get worse before it gets better. I am ultra-conservative (in terms of canine health, if not political leanings) and I'd be at the vet right now.

 

[cshellenberger]

Get to the vet today if possible! If the head is still in there it can cause problems. The vet will more than likely run a course of antibiotics and may want a titre in a couple of weeks to be sure no tick born illness is present.

 

[BigBlackDogGal]

The vet isn't open till Monday, but I called their 24 hour line and they said to keep an eye on it - that some swelling or skin irritation is normal after a tick bite but if it didn't change to bring him in.

I saved the tick and it seems to have the head on it. I can't really tell because it's so small obviously, but there seem to be mouthparts on it. Ew, ticks are gross.