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.

[Amy]

I would recomend that you put the "thing" in a bag or jar to show your vet and just clean the wound. Ticks ARE GROSS. I've had some latch on to me here in VA. We use frontline on our dog for tick prevention. Good luck. I hope BOTH of you are ok!

[Diane Dolphin Rocker]

Just flush it down the toilet. Deer ticks (which carry lyme) don't become huge and engorged like the regular brown ticks. I would just clean it up a bit and put a little dab of neosporin on it. No worries :)....

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thanks to you for your responses. We were at the vet last Tuesday. Since Ohio still has frost they told me not to worry about Frontline or other products until our weather changed and they would just see me in one month. Well surprise. I will be at their front door (with my gross bug in a bag) when they open tomorrow morning. We will not leave without it this time. I think I will have a glass of wine and chill. I feel silly for the panic but that was ewwwwwwwww. Thanks for your patience.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I am not a city girl and it still grosses me out to take out a tick! Yuck! Probably since you are still frozen in Ohio ( I'm originally from Michigan -brrr..) your best bet is to visit the vet. Go with your vet's recommendation for your area for flea and tick control. It can vary by area. Be of strong heart, city girl, I sympathize, but that is probably the first and last tick you will ever have to deal with. These "new" (by my standards they are new) fkea and tick products are great!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I called off work and am on my way to the vet at 10:45. The mass on his head this morning is now the size of a 50 cent piece so it is probably infected. One note--it has NOT slowed him down one bit. He is a crazy and healthy puppy this morning.
This too shall pass. Soon we will have our seasonal flea and tick meds.and be done with all of this. As Maryann said, this will be the first and the last time we will have to deal with these ugly things now that we can treat the dogs monthly. So much for no ticks until the frost and snow is gone. NOT TRUE. Thanks for answering this icky question last night. BTW--the small wine worked well and I slept with no nightmares of ticks.

[fergie11]

Just want to sympathize with you. I found a tick on Fergie last year and almost called my husband home from work to take it out. I just left it in for the rest of the day because I couldn't take it out. Let us know what the vet says. I'm very curious.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thanks I had to laugh about calling your husband and waiting all day. Before I remarried I did it all. I raised my sons and kept my own home. I laid kitchen sub-flooring, repaired plumbing, and I even built my own deck-- all while going to college to finish a degree. Nothing was impossible. When it comes to this well................. I called my husband three times in South Carolina last night. He is 12 hours away so what did I expect him to do????

[Jodi]

I just wanted to sympathize with you too. Within a few days of getting Bentley in Eastern Washington from a shelter I took him to the groomers and he had ticks. I had to go pick him up and was told to bring him back after they were gone. I took him straight to the vet from the groomers I was so grossed out. I had no idea what to do nor had I ever even seen one. The vet prescribed Frontline and it worked great. You probably will never have to deal with this again. I am curious to know what the vet says as well.

[Amy]

I've seen ticks crawling through my dog's hair too, even with frontline. They don't imbed in the dogs but they can come into your house, and on you, that way :(

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

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. However this mean old tick got here so 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 you all for helping and sharing on such a creepy but realistic subject.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Oh my - you do sound like a city girl! Put the tick (and the chunk of skin) in a closed bottle and take it to the vet. They may want to do a test of Lyme's disease. I think it is pretty rare where you are, but always a possibility. You can put a little neosporin on the dog's head. The latest thing I have heard about ticks - and it seems to work well - is to rotate them around in a circle and they will come out entirely. I usually remove them carefully with a tweezers, but you have to be very gentle and slow as to not leave the head in. We give our dogs Frontline during tick season and usually when you find a tick on them, it is already dead. As soon as they bite, they get insecticide from the blood and die. HOWEVER, we do not take Frontline and walk (or ride our bikes) on the same trails. That means, we frequently also have ticks and have to carefully remove them. So, be glad you are not in the country in a tick area. By all means, do not do any burning. They used to say to touch the tick with a hot match and it will back out, but I don't think anyone does that anymore. You could also burn the dog and affect his trust of you. Try the twisty removal next time. It seems to work well, especially with a large, bloody tick.

[Moose&Mica]

I grew up on a heavily wooded farm and ticks still gross me out and I consider myself a self reliant and not squeamish woman. The little bloodsuckers just make my skin crawl. If you had a spate of warm weather the pup probably picked up the tick on a walk. According the the U.S. Parks Service, ticks are worse in early spring because adults who have over wintered start looking for something to eat. Ick! I read that they can become active if the temps reach 35 to 45 degrees. Now I've got the heebie jeebies. :)