Zac has a tick :O(

Bebi · Zac has a tick :O(

I spotted it the night before last, on the sparse fur in front of his ear. I've looked up on ticks and I'm pretty sure it's a hedgehog tick (Ixodes hexagonus) Pics: link 1 & link 2 - only click those links if you really really want to see it...

We're treating it with insecticide drops for ticks, and have kept Zac indoors during treatment. We have to apply the drops two to three times a day for two days and then the tick will either fall off or we'll be able to safely remove it. Zac's not happy at all about being kept in, he yowled most of the night wanting to go out lol but the good news is that already it's looking like it's starting to loosen. Fingers crossed by tomorrow night it'll be gone and we'll have a happy chappy once again.

Bebi

The tick is no more!

I wrapped Zac in a blanket and held his head still while Andy juggled a torch and magnifying glass in one hand and used the other to remove it with tweezers. Zac was so good, as soon as I wrapped hhim up he held still and didn't struggle once. The tick needed a good tug to get it off, but we checked and its mouthparts came out intact, and there's nothing left in Zac. (we wrapped it in tissue and disposed of it by flushing it down the toilet) We treated the area it was on with an antiseptic ointment as it was slightly swollen, and we're keeping him in until the swelling goes down so we can keep a close eye on it. If it starts looking like developing into an abscess we'll take him straight to the vets.

It's amazing the change in him already, he seems a lot more cheerful! I've had a word with him and told him not to play with hedgehogs any more Smilie_PDT