As a veterinarian, I’ve removed thousands of ticks using many different methods. Most tools and surgical implements in common use are awkward to use and tend to either squash the tick or poke holes in the patient.
Searching for something better, I came across an instrument ophthalmologists use for removing splinters from the eye. Fine tipped and curved, they are almost perfect for tick removal, but expensive and a little too delicate to remove firmly embedded ticks. We have modified this design and now have what is probably the only surgical-quality instrument made specifically for tick removal.
The new tick forceps are:
Fine-tipped, so you can grasp the tick’s head without squashing its body and squeezing tick juice out all over the place
Curved, so you can see what you are doing and avoid stabbing your not-always-cooperative patient
Sturdy enough to put serious traction on deeply embedded ticks
For tick removal from dogs, cats or humans, nothing else works as well.
For free international shipping, contact vilhauer@gmail.com