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If a tick shows up latched on to a child (whether from on-site play or from home play), do you remove it? Or call for pickup? Or call to inform, but allow child to finish day? Tick borne illnesses and/or infection from incomplete removal worry me, but I’ve been known to overthink.
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Very low probability of disease. If you use tweezers and slowly pull the tick straight out, it should release. Pit the tick in a ziplock and give it to the parents who can have it checked for disease. -
My gut reaction would be to remove it but my practical side would say call the parent first.Comment
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I would remove, treat, then document in the parent app. If I saw any changes, I'd document those, too. They are very common down here, so we just wear DEET everyday when outdoors to prevent them. Mosquitos, gnats and chiggers are a much bigger issue for us.
Mosquito born illness is a greater threat as well.
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Oh, always use the needle nose tweezers, along tick midline, down to the skin level, pull straight back and up.
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Yes, CH! When we come to Georgia for decoration, we go to the 'gnat' cemetery and the 'chigger' cemetery.
Already made plans for this year as we missed last year!!!! 
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This tool is helpful too.Comment
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I own a tick removing tool, similar to what is posted above. I contact parent and let them decide. It's been a 50-50 splits between you do it, bag it and I'll see ya later & ILL BE RIGHT THERE.Comment
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I don't mess around with ticks. If I were to see one on a dc child, I would remove it immediately and then let the parents know in case they'd want to check with their doctor to see if further action is needed. I would also save the tick in a plastic baggie in case the parent needs to have it tested. Saving the tick for possible testing is really important so please don't throw it away if you remove one. Mark the date, the time, location of the bite on the baggie. The parents will need it if symptoms start to crop up.Originally posted by PB&J View Post
I'm sorry if this is TMI. After sharing my perspective on Covid and masks, I really hesitate to say any more about ticks/tick bites but I think it's important to understand how bad Lyme Disease can be if you do contract it. My 27 year old daughter was bitten by a tick when she was 12. The tick was at the top, back of her thigh. She tried to remove it herself but didn't remove it correctly and left the head in. We brought her to the pediatrician the next day. He removed the head and told us not to worry; it was no big deal and the chances of her getting Lyme Disease was small. A few days later, when it looked as though the bite was getting infected, he prescribed antibiotics and said she should be all set. As far as we know, she never developed the bullseye rash they tell you to look for but as time went on, various symptoms started to crop up. Long story short, she was tested for several different things including Lyme Disease. Everything came back negative, including multiple Lyme tests over time. Specialist after specialist couldn't figure out what was making her feel sick. About 2-3 years ago, we finally found an integrative physician who started to treat her for Hashimoto's Disease based on her symptoms. When treatment didn't make her feel any better he did further testing and he offered to test again for Lyme, using a new test that had recently been developed. That test came back positive. So, for about 15 years she's been dealing with symptoms that have included dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, blacking out (she describes it as not quite fainting but everything going black for a few seconds), heart palpitations, chest pain, balance issues, difficulty walking, joint and muscle pain, swelling in her knees and ankles, drooping shoulder (It looked like she had no shoulder - it was just hanging at her side), extreme, can't-get-out-of-bed fatigue, headaches/migraines, chills, skin rashes that come and go, stroke-like symptoms (vision problems, difficulty speaking (finding the right words to use to express herself, slurring...), tingling, numbness, burning, stabbing sensations throughout her body, ringing in her ears, tremors in her hands, memory and concentration problems, mood swings, irritability, depression, infections and sores in her throat, jaw pain, nausea and pain after eating, food allergies, etc. She's now on multiple medications, has to follow a very strict diet that includes no gluten or grains, sugar, dairy, eggs, peanut butter, and a long list of other foods. It's been a long, difficult, very expensive journey to where she's at now. She's feeling better now than she had been but is still not feeling healthy and if she cheats on her diet, many of the symptoms come right back. All this to say.....please take those ticks/tick bites seriously. If you have to get written permission to remove them from your dc kids, get it now before a bite happens so you can remove the tick immediately. The sooner, the better.
I found a tick remover at Walmart that looks like this: Ticked Off - Tick Removal Tool, 3 Pack - Walmart.com - Walmart.com You just position it under the tick and it comes right out and falls into the bowl of the removal tool and you can just pop it into a baggie. I like using it way better than tweezers.Last edited by e.j.; 06-03-2021, 05:08 PM.Comment
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Wow e.j., thank you for sharing your experience. But what a scary ordeal to go through for your dd and you!! Do you know what kind of tick bite she had?Comment
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The scariest part was not knowing what was causing her symptoms and watching her get worse with no help in sight. Doctors would test for certain things, rule them out but wouldn't look any further into why she was feeling so awful. Not trying to be dramatic but when it started to affect her heart, I was afraid we were going to lose her before we were able to figure out what happening. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have thought to bring her to an integrative physician but a nurse practitioner in her regular doctor's office suggested we try since she wasn't getting any answers from mainstream doctors. Although she's still dealing with Lyme issues and may never see a full recovery, her health has improved since he started treating her.Originally posted by Josiegirl View Post
If I remember correctly (I gave her medical records to her when she turned 18 so I don't have them to look at right now.), she was diagnosed with Borrelia and Tick Borne Relapsing Fever. I'm not sure what kind of tick bit her but I remember the doctor asking if she had traveled out west just before she got sick. We live in New England and we/she hadn't traveled. Apparently, the tick that usually carries the 2 diseases are more prevalent in the mid west/west. Just curious...is there a reason you ask? Hoping you aren't dealing with it, too!Comment
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No, I haven't dealt with this but it's scary how one nasty little critter can cause such life-changing experiences.Originally posted by e.j. View Post
This year has been my eye-opening learning-about-ticks year, not that I wanted it to be. Last year I wasn't even sure what they looked like. This year I've read so much about them it makes me want to move to Antarctica. But your dd's experiences are eye-opening as to what they're capable of causing. Glad she feels better and that you all found the right doctors to look further for causes. Hope her recovery continues!!
I'll never be blase about a little old bug again.
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We've often said the same thing. It's amazing that such little bug can wreak such havoc. So glad you're not dealing with Lyme yourself!
On a positive note, she just received notice today that she was approved for her 3rd (and final) grant from the Lymelight Foundation to help with medical expenses. Although it hasn't fully covered her expenses, the money this foundation has given her has been such a godsend, allowing her to get treatments we wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise. We're so grateful!
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I've never even seen one on my dogs, I hope I never do...but I'm thinking if I had on on a child I would contact parents and take it from there.Originally posted by PB&J View PostComment
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I faced the tick problem when my son was two. He had it on his scrotum. I got really scared. I started searching for info. An online pharmacy stated that it can fall off on its own once it is full but I couldn't risk. This could take up to two weeks. I couldn't remove it by myself, so I had to address our doc. He said, it was a good decision to come remove it, cause ticks can transmit different diseases. And it's better to get rid of them as soon as possible.Comment
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I'm personally not comfortable doing that and would rather have the parent do it. If I didn't remove it right, there's an issue of liability there that I just don't want to take on. Luckily, all my families work from home or work very close by where that wouldn't be much of an issue to call them.Comment
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