Tick Head & Duraflame Eating

by | May 10, 2019 | Common Conditions, Fleas, Lice, & Ticks | 1 comment

                                         by Seanna –  (Panama City Beach)

Tick head still in my dog. My dog got a tick when we went camping. My vet sold me some tick treatment to spray on it and said that it should come out on its own.

The tick died, did not come out, and when I was trying to remove it the body came off, but the head did not. It has been about two/three weeks, it never looked infected and still does not.

I am keeping an eye on it and there was a scab and now there is a bump where the tick was and where the head probably is. He does not like me touching it.

Will his body get rid of the head of the tick on its own or do I need to take him to the vet to remove the head?

He also just ate some pieces of a duraflame log that came out of the water I poured from my outdoor firepit that were submerged in water – do I need to do anything or will he be fine?

Thanks.

Comments for Tick Head & Duraflame Eating

Jan 25, 2010My Online Vet Response for Tick Head & Duraflame Eating
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman


Hi Seanna,
There is no need to be concerned about the tick head that stayed in the skin when you removed the tick body. The head of the tick will become ‘disintegrated’ and destroyed by your dog’s natural immune system of white blood cells, phagocytes, immunoglobulins, etc. sort of the body’s way of housecleaning.

See our Dog Flea and Tick Medicine page… it has lots of information on how to prevent ticks, the diseases ticks carry, etc.

The swelling that you see, and the tenderness is due to the anti-coagulant effect of the tick saliva. This enables the tick to continue to suck blood without the ‘host’ forming a blood clot. Some dogs, people, cats, other mammals will have almost an allergic reaction to the tick saliva.

I have seen a huge swelling the size of a quarter after a dog has been bitten by a tick. The hair can sometimes fall out, and in a black dog it will then grow in white!

Also, regarding the drinking of water contaminated with pieces of a Duraflame log, there are only non-petroleum waxes found in the log. Nothing that is toxic that would harm your dog.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the ‘click here to add your own comments’ link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
– Dog Flea Medicine

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