Yes.. they can test for the bacteria...It does not take much and they have amazing genetic screening abilities..

"...If you find a tick on yourself or on your pet it does not neccesarily mean infection, however it is important to remove the tick properly and as promptly as possible. Be sure not to leave the tick head or any part of the tick behind because disease can still be transferred from an embedded tick head only... "

“Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection caused by a spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi. Analytical Services, Inc. will identify the tick and use a highly sensitive genetic screen using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to determine if a suspect tick is carrying this bacterium. The identification of the tick and the test results will be important information for you and your physician. Other important information you and your doctor will need to determine the risk of Lyme Disease exposure include:”

I would get it to the lab as soon as you can… Like fast as it is decomposing.

Hope this helps
Ana

http://www.analyticalservices.com/tick_testing/index.html

http://www.nclyme.org/ticks.html