Tick Tips

Red Deer Tick             Brown Deer Tick

Do a thorough body check for ticks after being outdoors.

Ticks often attach in body folds, behind ears and in the hair.

How to remove a tick:

• Using tweezers grasp tick near the mouth parts, as close to skin as possible.
• Pull tick in a steady, upward motion away from skin.
• DO NOT use kerosene, matches, or petroleum jelly to remove tick.
• Disinfect site with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
• Record date and location of tick bite. If rash or flu-like symptoms appear contact your health care provider immediately.

DISEASE RISK IS REDUCED IF TICK IS REMOVED WITHIN 36 HOURS

We have found that this style of tick remover works best.

Brand name "Ticked off"

It can be found in the pet section of most stores.

Tips:

1.  Cure rates for treated Lyme are very high in children as long as the infection is recognized in the first 1-2 months. So watchful waiting after a tick bite is a perfectly safe strategy. Signs of Lyme are: a ring-like, flat rash, unexplained fever or headache and joint pain or swelling.
2. For kids 8 yrs or older, a preventative dose of antibiotics may be prescribed for some bites that meet certain criteria. If you have a child 8 yrs or older with a deer tick bite, and the tick has been attached for 24 hrs or more (or is very engorged), please call our office.
3. Use a repellent containing DEET according to label directions, particularly on shoes, socks and pant legs. Avoid applying high concentration products to the skin, especially on children. Use no more than 10% concentration and do not apply more than once per day. Do not use products containing DEET on infants less than 6 months old.
4. Protective clothing may be pretreated with a permethrin containing product which both repels and kills ticks. Caution: this is not for use on skin; use only as directed on the label.
5. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and your shirt into your pants when walking in woods, brush or tall grass. Deer ticks attach to clothing so ticks may be seen more easily.
6. To protect pets, consult your veterinarian about tick repellents, acaricides or, in high risk areas, the Lyme vaccine for dogs.