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Ashley Mitek
Information Specialist
University of Illinois
College of Veterinary Medicine

If your pet brings home a tiny hitchhiker clinging to its fur after a romp in the woods this summer, don’t panic. Although ticks can transmit many different diseases to both humans and pets, including the much-feared Lyme disease, prompt and proper removal will significantly decrease the likelihood of infection.

Dr. Allan Paul is a professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in parasitology, which is the study of parasites. Over the years, he certainly has heard his fair share of interesting old wives’ tales about how to remove a tick. Contrary to popular belief, “burning a tick with a hot match is not a good method of removal,” says Dr. Paul. Doing so actually makes the parasite expel its contents back into the animal and increase the likelihood of the spread of disease.

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