I pulled a tick off of my cat 3 days ago, head and all, and since then he hasn’t eaten and he’s stayed in the same spot on the couch. I looked at the spot where the tick was and there’s a bald spot but there’s no redness or anything else. If It’s not Lyme Disease, what is it?
His third eyelids are showing and the left one is reddish brown looking. I think he’s also having trouble urinating.
He is about 6 years old
Why is removing a tick correctly so important? Compressing the body of the tick can cause its saliva and gut contents to be squeezed out of the tick and back into the bloodstream of the host. Infective organisms can be transferred this way. Using fiddly impliments can prolong tick removal and stress the tick. This can cause it to regurgitate its stomach contents along with any infective organisms. DO NOT freeze, burn, or smother the tick with petrolium jelly, alcohol, or other substances, because this will also stress the tick and can cause it to regurgitate. DO NOT scratch off or crush a tick because it can leave bits behind in the skin and spill the saliva and gut contents which can result in infection.
I got this cat off the street, and 3 days later noticed what I think to be a tick. I took it off, but not sure if I did it right. What can you tell me about ticks.