Cat question

bounty_hunter

Hello
I'll try and keep this short.

I've just noticed my cat has a tick attached to her lower lip.
It appears to be causing her a bit of discomfort while eating/cleaning etc.
Does anyone know how I can remove it safely and without hurting her, seeing as it's in such an awkward place?

Thanks in advance for any help

tman

get a piece of toilet paper and yank the mofo tbh

twist it slightly while pulling gently

bounty_hunter

They leave bits behind if you just yank them off though, and I don't want it to get infected.

Plus it's in such a sensitive place it'll tear the skin, which also won't be very pleasant.

Rabies

Dab it with alcohol. Get a tweezers. Try to grab it by the head. Make sure it doesn't get left behind.

Failing that, ask a vet to remove it. Only takes a sec.

I had a tick removed from my crotch area and knee when working in the states by the on site nurse. She used the above method.

bounty_hunter

What will the alcohol do, help kill it or stop infection?
I'll give that a go, thanks. Thanks to tman aswell.

Rabies

It seems to annoy them a bit. Makes them easier to grab. It doesn't hurt to remove them, but as you mention the lip will be a sensitive area.

bounty_hunter

Aye, I've usually used tman's method whenever she's had them before, but this is going to be slightly more difficult. I'll try the alcohol, thanks.

Alun

For people, the dabbing with alcohol method is now generally discouraged as it can irritate the tick and cause it to disgorge the contents of it's stomach back into it's victim. If the tick in question is carrying Lyme's disease, this is bad news.

Generally it's recommended to use a proper pair of tick tweezers, (you can get these from your vet) which allow you to grip just the tick's mouth parts and gently twist it out, without squeezing the tick's body and also causing it to empty it's guts into it's victim.

Don't know whether this is an issue for pets, but in humans Lyme's disease is a potentially very nasty disease.

bounty_hunter

Hmm I'm not sure now.
I haven't attempted anything yet because it seems to be actually hurting her to poke at it, so I'm afraid to try and remove it now. It looks like it might tear the skin on her lip. I'm not anywhere near a vet so it's not convenient to just bring her round for a minute or whatever, I'd have to wait til tomorrow or Tuesday.

FranknFurter

Personally I would ask a vet to do it, only takes them 10 secs most wont even charge. (Any decent one anyways)
Are you sure its not just a skin tag? (can look similiar somtimes).

b

bounty_hunter

I thought that, but afaik they don't just develop overnight, do they?
Also it looks exactly like a tick, I've checked and re-checked it just to make sure.

Our man in Havana

I would take it to the vet TBH - Id be afraid of hurting my cat & getting an infected lip etc - the vet may give antibiotic shot if needed.

gypsygirl

Dab methylated spirits on the tick, this causes it to release the jaws n you can just take it away without hurting your cat or risking infection by leaving bits behind. Have done this with my dogs several times.

bounty_hunter

gypsygirl wrote:

Dab methylated spirits on the tick, this causes it to release the jaws n you can just take it away without hurting your cat or risking infection by leaving bits behind. Have done this with my dogs several times.

Would it be safe to do this around the lips though? Cats tend to lick at anything that comes into contact with that area.

gypsygirl

Meths evaporates in seconds, may leave nasty taste on your cats mouth but tiny quantity won't do any harm, once you've removed the tick give her milk/food and she won't even notice the Meths taste.

luckat

Vets usually have gadgets like this

http://www.otom.com/

and won't charge a fortune for tick removal.

gypsygirl

Bounty Hunter's not near a vet so this is a quicker solution.

bounty_hunter

Brilliant, methylated spirits it is. Thanks everyone.

gypsygirl

You can get Meths from your local hardware or Chemist,
Soak a small piece of cottonwool or tissue with it n hold cover tick for a couple of seconds. Job done.