Can you put Neosporin on a dog tick bite? Find Out Here

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Just like their owners, dogs are susceptible to minor injuries and are not immune to getting cuts, scrapes, or burns. But can you use Neosporin® on dogs? The answer isn’t completely straightforward. In some instances, applying the topical, antibiotic ointment can help heal your dog’s wound, but there are situations when it is not advisable or necessary to use it on your canine companion.

Since most people immediately reach for some type of ointment when an incident occurs, it’s not unusual that your first instinct might be to do the same for your dog. But before you go ahead and start applying Neosporin, there are a few things to take into consideration.

“If you put a match to that tick, you’ve now burned evidence,” said Dapsis, “You can’t test that tick.”

Once you’ve removed the tick, the next step is to get it tested. Place the tick in a zip-lock plastic bag. Go to www.TickReport.com and fill out an online submission form. You’ll be assigned a work order number; write that on the baggy or on a piece of paper that you place inside the baggy.

“It gives doctors a much better idea of what they should be looking for in their patient’s clinical presentation.”

“The preferred method is using pointy tweezers, not big fat tweezers, because you don’t want to crush the tick,” he said. “You will not give yourself Lyme disease, but you might give yourself a nasty infection.”

There’s mixed evidence on whether you can wash an attached tick off in the shower, he said.

When to Call for Tick Bite

When to Call for Tick Bite

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now Cant remove the tick after trying this care advice Tick bite and No past tetanus shots. Note: tetanus is the “T” in DTaP, TdaP, or Td vaccines. Widespread rash starts 2 to 14 days after the bite Fever or headache starts 2 to 14 days after the bite Fever and bite looks infected (spreading redness) Weak, droopy eyelid, droopy face or crooked smile Your child looks or acts very sick You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours Deer tick was attached for more than 36 hours Deer tick is swollen, not flat New redness starts more than 24 hours after the bite. Note: bacterial infection is rare. It does not start until at least 24-48 hours after the bite. More than 48 hours since the bite and redness now getting larger Tick bite and last tetanus shot was more than 10 years ago Red-ring or bulls eye rash occurs around a deer tick bite. Note: the rash of Lyme disease starts 3 to 30 days after the bite. You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent Contact Doctor During Office Hours You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home Wood tick bite Deer tick bite Preventing tick bites

Can I put Neosporin on my dog?

Whether your pup was roughhousing with another dog at the park, got stung by a bee, or stepped on something sharp, every dog owner dreads seeing their furry friend in pain. Dogs can get cuts, scrapes, and scratches just the way humans can — and if left untreated, they can quickly lead to infection and cause pain and additional medical complications.

The second you see a scratch on your dog, your first instinct might be to reach for the Neosporin, or any other antibiotic ointment. This topical over-the-counter medication contains antibiotics like neomycin, polymyxin B, and bacitracin, and is commonly used to treat and prevent skin infections in humans. But is it safe to use on your dog?