Ticks

[Gbear]

I just found a tick on my 5 month old sulcata. This sulcata has only been outside once when I first got him. I just changed out his bedding (coco coir) and put in new sphagnum moss about 4 days ago. I changed his stuff outside. This tick was huge and I just noticed him today. I read that you can suffocate and then pull the tick out...which is what I tried to do. I'm not sure if I got the head unfortunately. My sulcata is very strong and it took some time for him to let me pull out his arm where the tick was attached. Do I need to seek vet help if the head is still attached? I feel sick to my stomach and wish I knew exactly where the thing came from. I checked my other tortoises (redfoots) who I also cleaned out their tank and put the same bedding down, they didn't have any signs of ticks. I've never experienced ticks even with my box turtles that are outside full time. Any advice?

 

[Yvonne G]

I wish you had posted a picture prior to taking the tick off. I've never encountered ticks on my tortoises, so don't know what to say about it. Sorry.

 

[jsheffield]

I think I'd smear a bit of triple antibiotic ointment on the attachment site, and not worry about it beyond that ....

Jamie

 

[Blackdog1714]

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html The CDC says wait a couple of weekd and if you notice redness then seek medical attention. It also show how to properly remove a tick

 

[Maro2Bear]

I agree with Yvonne, a pix would have been great. Do you have dogs or other animals? If do, they easily could get passed from Outside to another animal (or you) and onto the sully.

There are many types of ticks so a pix would have been great.

For some reason, i thought ticks in general were more interested in warm blooded mammals, then cold-blooded reptiles.

Ticks can be active all year-round. ... That means ticks can be active if the temperatures increase, even for a single day. These are parasites that live on warm-blooded creatures. While ticks, like other cold-blooded creatures, can't maintain a constant body temperature on their own, their hosts can.
Source - https://www.americanpest.net/blog/post/are-ticks-gone-in-winter

 

[Ben02]

You should be able to get tick removers at any good pet shop. They are a lot safer than using anything else because it also pulls the mandibles out so they don’t stick and cause more problems like infections

 

[Gbear]

I was worried because she stopped eating and became lethargic after pulling the tick off. The stress might have gotten to her or she was just mad at us for 3 days. Today after a warm soak, she went to the bathroom and then started to eat again, so I think she's coming out of her funk.

 

[Ben02]

I was worried because she stopped eating and became lethargic after pulling the tick off. The stress might have gotten to her or she was just mad at us for 3 days. Today after a warm soak, she went to the bathroom and then started to eat again, so I think she's coming out of her funk.

That's good to hear, hope everything goes well for you

 

[Pastel Tortie]

If anybody else ever has to deal with a "large" tick on a tortoise or other reptile, please post a picture of it after you remove it.

If the tick, fully engorged (filled up with blood from the host animal), approaches the size of a dime, make sure you save the sample. The reason here is simple: If a tick gets that big, it isn't native to the U.S. Depending on the circumstances, it could be a big deal.