Is it important to remove the head of the tick? We hear that question a lot at Westgate Pet Clinic when we encounter ticks on pets in the early spring or late fall when tick prevention is sometimes forgotten or discontinued too early. Although the CDC (Center for Disease Control) encourages us to remove the tick as close to the skin as possible (thus removing the head and mouth parts), it is more important to focus on removing the tick as soon as it is found, and also making sure to wash our hands well after handling the tick.  See http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html  for further details.