Tick Bite Site Lump

Question
I found a tick on my 1 year old German Shepherd last week.  I thought it was just a piece of dirt or dried saliva in his fur (I have 3 german shepherds, mostly indoors and they had just been outside playing) and pulled at it only to find out it was a tick.  It was not engourged with blood.  I could see it's antennae so I am pretty sure that the entire tick was removed.  I live in Central/Northwest Indiana.  My dog has been acting just fine, but I am a bit worried about the pea-sized bump at the site where the tick was found.  I have been cleaing it with sterile saline wound wash.  I am also making an appointment to my own vet this week.  I'm hoping to get in Monday.  I am pretty sure that the tick was a brown dog tick.  Is there anything else I should do before I get into my vet?  Thanks for your help in advance.  I am a huge worry-wort! (He is on Frontline Plus)

Answer
These kind of reactions are not at all uncommon Heather. There is an irritant in the saliva of the tick that causes a reaction much like an allergic one in the skin and that is the skin's way of trying to protect itself. It will go away after a while. My dog gets them too and some take a week or more to go down.

Even if the head gets left in the skin bump goes down and the head is just sloughed off like dead skin.

Now I don't know how prevalent Lyme's is where you live but that is the one thing I would ask the vet. Get your dog's vaccinated against it if it is in your area. Better to be safe than sorry.