Open ProvincesTick Bites and Lyme Disease: Remove and Monitor
Remove a tick correctly, retain useful information, check eligibility for preventive treatment and monitor symptoms.
Adapted from a guide first written for Quebec readers: passages specific to Quebec were removed. Rules in your province may differ.
After an outing
Check skin, scalp, armpits, groin, behind knees and pets. Showering and drying clothing as recommended may find unattached ticks.
Remove
Use fine tweezers close to skin, grasp the head and pull slowly, straight and firmly. Do not crush the body or use oil, heat, alcohol or polish.
Document
Clean skin and hands, note date, likely place and attachment time, and take a photo. Follow local instructions when identification is useful.
Preventive treatment
It may be offered in certain areas under specific conditions. Contact a pharmacist or clinician promptly; never use leftover antibiotics.
Monitor
Watch for expanding redness, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, facial weakness or palpitations. The classic rash is not always present.
Seek care
Mention exposure, place and date even without a found tick. Major breathing or neurological trouble needs urgent help.
Prevent
Stay on trails, use light covering clothes and registered repellent as labelled, and veterinary prevention for pets.
Children and pregnancy
Choose repellents and application methods appropriate for age and pregnancy with a pharmacist or clinician. An adult should apply repellent to young children and keep it away from hands, eyes and mouth.
What a photo can do
A photo helps document the bite or rash, but an app cannot confirm infection or the need for treatment. Decisions depend on the exposure, clinical assessment and current recommendations.
Track changes
Photograph redness with a ruler and date without waiting for a perfect target shape. Record temperature, pain, medication and new exposures. A small immediate mark may be irritation, but expanding redness or general symptoms should be assessed according to current guidance.
Official government resource (French)
Sources and limits
Official government sources are linked. Reviewed August 28, 2026; confirm current and local instructions.
General information based on federal and national rules; provincial rules may differ. Confirm with the official body before acting. Last reviewed : 2026-08-28.