Best one I saw was like a tiny pry bar.

have a look at this http://www.otom.com/how-to-remove-a-tick

ooer! that gived me the creeps I once got one out of the dog and dropped it, it ran across the floor.

Another link describing symptoms

http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ticks.htm

Top link there. Tick borne diseases are on the increase globally and especially in areas with tick problems everyone should be aware of the dangers.
People should have the same attitude as to malaria.

BTW. Leishmaniasis is another problem here. Transmitted by the sand fly, untreated is fatal to pets and not to good for us either.
Wildlife is out to get us

So it`s treatable now? ,never used to be.

Handy tool, though I doubt it will always be quite as easy as it appears on the vid.

It's treatable but not I think curable.

Under the new vetinerary laws if a dog is found to have the parasite then continued treatment MUST be carried out or the dog will be put down.

It's a very expensive long term treatment so some owners will now have to consider that option.

Most things are treatable, but that's a long way from saying there are instant cures and from what I gather they are quite a way from having an instant cure in this case.
Many ppl seem to mistakenly think it's caused by mosquitoes, but from what I can gather and have seen myself the sand fly is a different thing altogether, although having a mossie like appearance apart from its more brownie colour.
Unlike the mossies they don't need water and survive quite nicely in dark dry crevices and cracks supposedly only coming out at night-time, though I could swear I have seen a few of them in daylight this year.

Friend of mind had to do it. Lots of injections, but the cost was peanuts. I think he used human grade stuff as the vet stuff was very pricey.

The filaria treatment on the other hand was about 150 per dog!

Quite fascinating ... I stared at that for ages, mesmerised.

Good innit?

Exactly. Animal welfare is not top of the list with many spanish due to the cost of vets.
The big problem where I live are all the stray dogs which are so ill from malnutrition that they are a breeding ground for tick infections.
In my small village I know personaly of 5 people who have contracted Lyme or associated disease directly from ticks of these dogs and those are just people I know of.
Once a year the dog catcher would come, not with much success, but even they don't come anymore.

Got one and they DO work. Vid says ticks can infect within 4 hours, however unlike our midges, you cannot feel then when they land on you and start to suck blood. Also some are too small to get out at first, even with the tool until they have been in for a few days and filled up with blood!
Pete

I wouldn't count on the hot poutices method. Many bateria and viruses can survive temperatures of 70 degrees Celcius. How about giving the wound a good suck? Followed by a spit

Beardie

Well, the idea is to do the best you can. I don't know the sensitivity of those bacteria to heat. Do you?

Some bacteria can survive 90C, but an awful lot can't stand 50.

So, you'd treat the area with a disinfectant, and then use a hot treatment. It kills a lot of bacteria. For instance, when I have one of those small infected cuts, I immerse them in hot water and they heal tooty sweety. But hey, don't take my word for it.

The other week someone took my advice, and I damn near fainted. I'd told him onion juice treats burns, and when his wife burned her hand quite badly he made her stick her hand into a bag of onion pulp and keep it there for a couple of hours.

She was amazed to find that it worked, and she had no blisters at all.

Most people are far too stupid to even think of trying something out of the norm.