bloodsuckers

Question
hello my name is Nicole, i have two dogs. One is a German Shepherd and the other is Sharpie. i have found a BUNCH of blood suckers big and miniature sized on my my sharpie and recently found one on my German Shepherds ear. I don't know how to get rid of them, and whats worse is my German Shepherds- Rocco- is very sensitive about his ears. i washed both of them today and they still seem to be on there. if your not a vet or don't know the answer to this can you please ask someone? i cant afford a vet right now, financial issues. this would mean so much to me if i can get any type of answer back regarding this. thank you.

Answer

Hi Nicole,

I will assume by "blood suckers" you mean leeches (una Sanguijuela?). You can remove the leeches if you follow these steps:

1. Find the leech's mouth, or sucker, which will be found at the narrow end of the leech.

2. Put your finger on your skin next to the mouth.

3. Gently but firmly slide your finger toward the wound where the leech is feeding. Using your fingernail, push the sucker sideways away from your skin.

4. Once you have dislodged the mouth, quickly detach the fat end of the leech. Try flicking the leech or prodding with your fingernail. As you work to remove the leech, it will attempt to reattach itself. Apply direct pressure by holding a clean gauze pad on the wound. The wound is likely to bleed for some time because there are anti-clotting enzymes in the leech's mouth. You may have to check the wound every fifteen minutes or so to see if it is still bleeding.

5. Keep the wound clean, so it doesn't become infected. Wash the wounds where the leeches were with soap and water and apply an antibiotic first aid cream to the wounds. The leech itself is not poisonous. The wounds will itch as they heal.

You can watch these videos that shows you how to remove leeches using the method I've described above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4osSkjv2xfI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMMNRuRmcJ4


Best of luck,
Patti