Parasite remover

Forceps for removing a parasite such as a tick from a host animal, said parasite having a body and a head smaller in cross-sectional area than the body, where the parasite has attached itself to the host at its head and the parasite contains fluids which can be expelled into the host animal upon the application of an external squeezing force, particularly a squeezing force applied to its body, comprising:

• first and second opposed arms each having a distal end and a proximal end and each arm extending generally along a first direction;
• means for securing said first and second arms so that they are movable in opposition to one another between an open position and a closed position in which said distal ends of said opposed arms are in contact with each other;
• means mounted on said distal ends of said opposed arms for gripping the parasite, said means for gripping being formed to engage said parasite without applying a squeezing force to any part of the parasite and with a surface positioning to abut the body of the parasite when said arms are in said closed position, and spaced from one another a sufficient distance to clear the body of the parasite when said arms are in said open position;
• whereby when said forceps are closed on a parasite that has attached itself to the host animal without the use of an irritating stimulus, a movement of the forceps in a direction away from the host animal causes said abutting surface to obtain purchase on the body of the parasite and removes the parasite without squeezing the parasite so as to expel fluids from the parasite into the host animal.