Black spot on my dogs snout

[PatriciaH]

He flinches when i touch it so its sore for him , its where his whiskers are , the spot like thing is stuck out looking like a wart ... i have made an appointment at the vets for tonight but wondered if anyone had any idea what it could be
Thanks , Trish

[woofgang]

possibly a tick? try not to poke it, let the vet sort it out!

[LoftyLottie]

Came on here to give you the same answer. Woofgang beat me to it. Sounds exactly like a tick!

[PatriciaH]

Just googled ticks , gross things , thanks for advice , i wont be touching it il leave it to the vet to get it off ... makes me feel sick ...lol

[woofgang]

if you have dogs down here in the New Forest, ticks ar part of every day life lol you just frontline the dogs regularly and learn to remove them yourself :-(

[LoftyLottie]

Yes, we have the same problem Woofgang being out in the sticks! Couldn't afford to take them to the vet on such a regular basis!

[woofgang]

yup, that would be daily or more in the summer!

[terambulan]

By the time you get to the vets the tick will have laid eggs.

Has the spot got bigger (just to check it's a tick). If so, pull it off with tweezers - dab nose with vinegar.

drop tick on floor to squash. Run flame over tweezer-ends to sterilise.

[PatriciaH]

Uggh i couldnt do that terambulan , going to the vets at 6 pm.
thanks all for replies x

[kita1]

If you are not even sure it is a tick then leave it alone!

If it is a tick and you try and remove it without knowing what you are doing you could leave the head embeded in the dogs nose and that will cause infection (you will then need antibiotics etc and it will cost you even more in the long run).

To be honest if you are not sure what it is and it is causing the dog tenderness/pain then the vet is your best option.

Rather pay a small vet consultation fee now than a massive bill later if you get it wrong.

Plus you could end up being bitten if the dog is in pain.

[LoftyLottie]

Absolutely Kita. It is so easy to leave the head in if it is done incorrectly.

We do it for our dogs (because we have experience) but sometimes when they are buried quite deep we have to take the dogs to the vet.

[PatriciaH]

It has grown since i saw it yesterday, i thought hed caught his snout on something , but looked at google and i think it is a tick , soon be 6pm so he can see the vet , aww my poor doggie

[PatriciaH]

Cameras not very good on this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?vdELv5Ym60YM

my lovely dog

[LoftyLottie]

He's Lovely!

Let us know how it goes.

[terambulan]

The vinegar makes the tick release its grip.

[Schutzengel]

Terambulan, is quite correct, you use tweezers to remove it if it is a tick. You can easily tell if it is a tick. When ticks first attach themselves to either cat or dog, they are a creamy white colour and look oval, fat, and soft. If they have been attached for a couple of days, then they look black because they are gorged with the blood they are sucking from the animal. As Terambulan says, you must sterilise the tweezers, this can be done as he says with a flame, or by dipping the tweezers into alcohol (vodka or whisky). or boiling water. However, the tick's mouth is like little claws with which it bites and holds on to the animal. Before you can remove the tick, it is necessary to make it release the claws, which can be done, by either carefully touching it with the lit end of a cigarette (with the ash knocked off), or putting a couple of spots of alcohol on it. Then quickly remove tick with the tweezers, and destroy it as Terambulan suggested. I know they look horrible, and the first time is the worst, but be brave and do it. Last instruction, pour yourself a large whisky. As Woofgang says, frontline prevents ticks, but this needs to be kept up-to-date, especially if the animals go anywhere near land where sheep have been, as these ticks are commonly called 'sheep ticks'.

[terambulan]

On BBC1 now, The ONE show....removal of tick as I said.

When you have pets you must be prepared to do these things quickly as time can harm the pets.

[PatriciaH]

Back from the vets and the vet put a hot cloth on the said lump and knocked the top off it , she mentioned the word tumour and quickly said it isnt one after looking at it - thank god !
Shes sending the scab off for tests and gave us some cream for mac .. got to see how it goes for a week now till results come back , will keep updated and thanks again xx

[woofgang]

and that's why you need to check with vet first...imagine if she had done the lighted ciggy thing on the dog and it wasn't a tick :-0

We always unscrew ticks. the mouthparts have a screwthread and turning them anticlockwise gets the whole thing out head and all. I used to work in the NHS and that was the recommended way in the minor injuries unit too. It is a knack though...and you need smallish fingers, DH can't do it

[kita1]

Thank goodness you did not try to remove the 'tick' yourself!!

If there is any doubt leave it to the vet.

[Schutzengel]

Hi,
Both Terambulan and myself, gave detailed explanation of what to do with a tick, and how to recognise one. None of this would apply unless the tick was clearly identified, and as Woofgang says, there are many successful ways to remove a tick. Regarding the cigarette method, this has been used by farmers for their dogs for many years, and is only to gently touch the tick, and not the animal. I'm sure everyone will be keeping their fingers crossed that the test comes back clear for your beautiful dog. Please let us know. Good Luck. Be thinking of you.