HELP. From OHIO and I dont Know About Ticks

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Okay I am too freaked out and grossed out to go through 12 pages of blogs to sift through the best tick and flea products when I need advice tonight.
I may sound naive, but I don't know how to handle this. I live in Ohio and basically from the city so I don't know much about ticks.
Tonight I notices a lump on his head that was the size of a quarter. It looked to me like a lipoma cyst, flesh in color. I pulled on it and out came a chunk of skin attached to what looks like a very large tick. So now what??? I have the chunk of skin and the ugly bug. Do I still have to burn this thing out? Drive to a gas station to get matches. My apologies. I sound like desperate city girl but my handsome dog has this hole in his head! Is there medication needed to treat this wound after this? The internet is full of advice on how to pull them out but gives no info on what to do it is leaves a wound.
UPDATE:
We're Home. The Vet said this is months too early. We got a trophy and a 1st place ribbon for having the 1st wood tick of the Ohio season at our Vet's office. So much for waiting until the snow and frost season ends. It snowed 2 inches here yesterday. First Place Prize = large 50 cent size infection, a pocket full of antibiotics, and a year supply of flea/tick tubes.

We had wood logs for the fireplace and possibly they survived through the winter in this wood. We also walk him 2-3-4 times a day and often go to parks. How ever this mean old tick got here early is a mystery--he just knew there was a new puppy to attack. $ 150.25 later we are now home and better educated. :) Thanks to all of you for helping and sharing on such a creepy but realistic subject.

[Kai Doodle (Kathy & Keith)]

My pediatrican told me (after I pulled a tick out of my son and took my son & the tick to the doctor in Rhode Island, where they do have lyme disease) that a lyme tick is the size of a dot of ink from a fine point pen. That is why it's so hard to know for sure if someone has been biten until the bulls eye ring shows up, if it does. I work in wound care, for people, I suggest washing it out with saline wound spray, availalbe at the drug store. The saline is under pressure so it cleans things out really well and keeping an eye on it. You can put neosporin on the "hole". Whatever you decide to do stay away from hydrogene peroxide, we don't use it on people because it damages the cells and makes it harder for the wound to heal. To remove a tick you can light a match, blow it out and put the hot end on the part of the tick you can see. As an alternative you can cover it in a thick coating of vaseline or solid crisco and it should pull its head out of your puppy. Good luck!

[Janie]

I guess we all hate ticks...I am so glad I have not seen any on my dogs. Sorry you had to go through this...it is getting that time.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

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