Where should a tick from a dog be discarded? - briefly
Kill the tick in rubbing alcohol, seal it in a plastic bag or container, and dispose of it with regular household trash.
Where should a tick from a dog be discarded? - in detail
When a tick is removed from a dog, the first priority is to kill the parasite before discarding it. Use fine‑point tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin, pull straight upward with steady pressure, and avoid crushing the body. Immediately place the live tick into a small, sealable plastic bag or a screw‑cap container.
Kill the tick by one of the following methods:
- Submerge the sealed bag in 70 % isopropyl alcohol for at least five minutes.
- Drop the tick into a container of boiling water (100 °C) for one minute.
- Freeze the tick in a sealed bag at –20 °C for several hours.
After the parasite is confirmed dead, dispose of it safely:
- Empty the alcohol or water into a sink and run plenty of water; the tick will be flushed away.
- If a sealed bag was used, place the bag in a regular household trash bag that will be collected by municipal waste services.
- For areas with strict biohazard rules, hand the sealed container to a veterinary clinic or a local animal control agency for incineration.
Do not bury ticks in soil, compost, or outdoor trash, as this may allow re‑emergence of pathogens. Follow any additional local regulations that govern the disposal of arthropod vectors.