# Spinning ticks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-ticks/554454 "2010-09-20T20:11:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![catsaway9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@catsaway9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsaway9)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-ticks/554454/1 "2010-09-20T20:11:05Z")
My dog picked up a tick a few months ago, so naturally I went online to see what to do and found the usual methods - matches, fingernail polish, oil, hot sauce, pulling with tweezers, etc. My husband tried matches and oil, which he considered “tried and true” methods, but they didn’t work - so we were about ready for a trip to the vet. Then I found a method called “spinning.” You just rub the tick in tiny circles until it backs out. It took a couple of tries over a minute or two - not quite as quick as the articles indicated - but it did work. The tick backed right out of my dog, and I know it was intact because it crawled around on my (gloved) hand before I disposed of it, and I could see the head. Here’s a link that has a video of how to do it: > **[How to Remove a Tick From a Dog](https://www.instructables.com/How-to-remove-a-tick/)** > > How to Remove a Tick From a Dog: > In this instructable I will demonstrate how to easily remove a tick from your dog without pulling it out. The tick will crawl out on it's own and you won't have to deal with 'did I get it all out?'. This sounds like... It may not work with all varieties of tick, but it worked great for the dog tick. There seems to be some controversy about whether the tick “regurgitates” its germs before pulling out, but I’m not sure any method can guarantee against that. I would love the Straight Dope about why this works! (Some articles claim the tick gets “dizzy” but I don’t buy it.) ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-ticks/554454/2 "2010-09-20T20:30:21Z")
This seems to be in relation to this Staff Report: [Are you supposed to twist ticks counter-clockwise to remove them?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1762/are-you-supposed-to-twist-ticks-counter-clockwise-to-remove-them) For the reasons given in **Jill** ’s report, “spinning” them sounds just as bad as trying to unscrew them. Until I see a tick with a Phillips Head grove on it, I think I’ll stick to the tweezer method. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-ticks/554454/3 "2010-09-23T13:26:16Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, **catsaway9** , we’re glad to have you with us. Since there’s already another thread on ticks, I’m going to suggest that future posts be put there, and I’m closing this one. I’ve duplicated/copied your post into that thread. Here’s the link to the other thread: [more on ticks](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=578570)