Any pet owner knows true terror when they run their hands over their loved one and they find the dreaded “T-word”. What do you do when you find that horrible little blood sucker on your best friend? Your first reaction is to squeeze or pull the little bugger off – bu that’s not always the best choice. You could leave the tick be, but you run the risk of inviting numerous diseases to your dog. If you’re in doubt about what to do, here are some effective remedies to get rid of dog ticks:

The Old Match Stick Trick

If you have a calm or well behaved dog then this is for you. After locating your friends passenger use a pair of tweezers to hold the bug then take a match, stick works best, lite it, blow it out, and place the still hot head on the tick and it will let go of your dog so you can remove it safely.

Get the Dog Ticks Drunk

No, I do not mean take it to the bar and buy it a Bloody Mary! Take a bottle of rubbing alcohol and pour a small amount on the tick and wait about thirty seconds. If it dose not fall of repeat. Once the parasite is off feel free to squish it further. This method not only kills the bug but the alcohol will kill most harmful bacteria that come with a tick.

Smother the Ticks

Not with love but an oil, or nail polish. Vaseline works best. Take a healthy amount of jelly and smear it on the little blood sucker. After a short amount of time the bug will release its grip on Fido’s skin and try to save itself.

Before you resort to pesticides try putting iodine on and around the invading pest wait a moment and grab it with a pair of tweezers and gently pull twisting clockwise. If you have a light colored dog, then this method may horrify you for your furry friend will be stained for a while after this; but on the bright side, you have a reduced risk of infection.

When it comes down to it, ticks are disgusting little things that are drawn to your dog like a magnet. Once you have removed your pets pest, save it. Although your first reaction is to toss the dirty little critter, you might have to take it to the vet to help them identify any virus your dog may have contracted.