Tick! Dad opposed to going to vet

Hi. Just a few minutes ago I found something in my cat's fur - it was a tick. I didn't think about taking precautionary measures and yanked it out with tweezers. I can see a tiny part of the tick still in my cat's skin, and the surrounding area is pretty red and swollen. I am really worried that I did something wrong. My dad is really opposed to going to the vet. He never thinks it is necessary. Is it worth going? What should I Do?

Replies would be greatly appreciated.

I'd keep an eye out for lyme disease symptoms, and definitely see a vet for some Frontline, Advantage or Revolution to keep fleas and ticks off of your cat.
Do not, under any circumstances use any over the counter products as they can actually be quite dangerous for your cat.
Only use products prescribed by or recommended by your vet.

Here is an info site which gives the symptoms of Lyme disease in cats.
Lyme Disease

Also look for more ticks...

If it's already red and swollen... hm. Definitely keep a close eye. Start using meds (Frontline or Advantage, as already suggested.)

She has to see a vet to get the prescription. Dad said no

Good point.

How stubborn is Dad on the no-vet deal?

You have outdoor cats? Do you live in a rural area?

I am sure if she found one there is at least 2 more in the house somewhere or right outside...

Go back in with the tweezers and pull out the part that is left. When removing a tick, it is necessary to grasp the head of the tick, as close to the skin as possible. Otherwise the tick could pull apart before the head pulls out of the skin.

Beyond that, I think it is fine to keep an eye on her. The vet can't do much more than that anyway, as long as the tick itself is out.

Treating her with Frontline Plus is highly advisable since if she got one tick, she is likely to get more.

I found a site years ago that showed how to remove a tick..

Frontline and Advantage are not presciption meds. They can both be purchased either online or at pet stores (Petco, Petsmart, etc). As far as part of the tick still being under her skin: just keep an eye on it. It should fester up and come out on it's own (like a sliver would). I work at a veterinary clinic. In my opinion, something this minor doesn't really warrant a vet visit (unless she's overdue for her annual exam and vaccines).

Originally Posted by luvmy4cats

Frontline and Advantage are not presciption meds. They can both be purchased either online or at pet stores (Petco, Petsmart, etc).

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The trouble with doing that though is that both of those products have some very convincing counterfeits on the market that are dangerous.

Originally Posted by luvmy4cats

Frontline and Advantage are not presciption meds. They can both be purchased either online or at pet stores (Petco, Petsmart, etc). As far as part of the tick still being under her skin: just keep an eye on it. It should fester up and come out on it's own (like a sliver would). I work at a veterinary clinic. In my opinion, something this minor doesn't really warrant a vet visit (unless she's overdue for her annual exam and vaccines).

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I also would be hesitant to buy online/petstore products as there are a lot of counterfeit products around.

If you have a vet that you usually go to, why not call him/her and ask about removal of the head of the tick - whether you should leave it to come out on its own or if you should use tweezers to remove it. I'm sure a vet's office would be able to give you the information without a visit.

next time you see a tick, if you smother it in vasoline it will suffocate, drop off and die.

Originally Posted by maverick_kitten

next time you see a tick, if you smother it in vasoline it will suffocate, drop off and die.

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I never thought of that. Thanks for the tip...

Yes, it's true--there are counterfeit products on the market. When I suggested buying online I meant buying from a reputable business such as Fosters and Smith or one of the other well known online pet stores. Almost every veterinary clinic also carries either Frontline or Advantange. Neither one of them are prescription products, so you can just stop in and purchase it without taking your cat in. If you're finding ticks I would definately go with the Frontline--because Advantage only kills fleas. The clinic where I work only sells Frontline (which kills fleas, flea eggs and ticks). It's also waterproof (I don't think Advantage is). You will have to apply a new tube of Frontline every 30 days (up until frost) for it to continue working properly. Our clinic sells it in a 3 pack for $46.00 + you also get an additional single tube free if you buy the 3 pack. We also sell it individually-- I think it goes for about $21.00 a tube. It is more expensive than Hartz, Biospot and the other "dirt cheap" brands you find in dept. and grocery stores, but it's much safer. I tell people that use Hartz on their pets that I would rather they using nothing if they're unwilling to pay a little more for a safer product. I have only worked at the clinic for 2 years and already have seen several cases where cats nearly died after their owner's applied Hartz (hospitalized with siezures, unable to stand, vomiting, etc). The owner's end up with hospital bills that are several hundred dollars (all because they wanted to save a few dollars on flea preventative).

Just go into the vets office and buy some frontline or advantage. You don't need to bring your cat in to get either of these. You can also buy them from Petsmart or Petco, they are usually behind a glass cabinet and you will have to ask someone to buy them.

They are easy to use. Just some liquid drops you put between teh shoulder blades. It protects yoru cat from fleas and ticks for a month and commonly used as one of teh safest flea treatments available. If she got one tick then she can likely get more and always good to protect against fleas in the summer season.

The vet would be glad to sell you some Frontline or Advantage. You can buy that without the vet having to see the cat.

I used it once and it didn't do a thing (health wise or flea wise). Now I only stick with the main 3.

]is Biospot dangerous? Fosters & Smith sells it, & i've used it with no discernable problems...[/size]

Originally Posted by SolarityBengals

I used it once and it didn't do a thing (health wise or flea wise). Now I only stick with the main 3.

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That's the other thing - often the meds you buy on-line and over-the-counter are not very effective. We went through all that when we had a flea infestation before we were educated here at this site - nothing would kill those little suckers. Finally got an exterminator - mind you our infestation was pretty heavy and they loved the old shag rugs.

Our 2 now get a Revolution treatment once per month from April through November - I don't know if they feel better for it, but we certainly do.