Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug. ~John Lithgow
It’s tick season folks. Just as every other year, this year is going to be “the worst” on record. If you live in New England and have a number of dogs, chances are you’re probably pretty used to scrounging through your dog’s fur like a Capuchin killing time at the zoo.
I bet you’re wondering if I’ve come across any gadgets for dealing with these disgusting little parasites. Well as a matter of fact, I do. The Tick Twister, by O’Tom. This device was apparently developed by a veterinary surgeon. It does not compress the tick’s abdomen, reducing the risk of transmitting disease. It also removes the whole tick without leaving the tick’s mouth in the skin.
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical at first, but seriously, this thing is pretty cool. The device is about 2 inches long and plastic with a hook at the end. You slide the hook under the body of the tick at the skin and twist. It takes just a slight roll of your thumb and finger and the tick is out of your dog and trapped in the hook! What I noticed about removing ticks with this device is that my dogs don’t have the lumpy scab where the tick head is being worked out of the skin.
Now I know you’re saying, right, like I’m going to know where this device is when I need it. I hear you loud and clear, but the good news is that it’s only $5.99 per package and each package comes with 2, so really you can disburse them throughout the house and have one handy when you need it!