Why you should protect your pets against paralysis ticks
TICK PARALYSIS
Dogs & Cats affected by tick toxin become ill 3-5 days following tick attachment with rapid and progressive deterioration 24-48 hours later.
The paralysis tick can be life threatening to our pets and ourselves.
This tick contains a toxin that when injected can cause paralysis.
Paralysis cases peak in Spring particularly in wet, warm weather but can occur any time of the year. They live in bushy areas, long grass paddocks, anywhere that is warm (this can include your dogs outside dog bed!), often where natural hosts such as bandicoots, possums and wallabies inhabit.
Your local veterinary clinic will be able to tell you which areas have the paralysis tick and during what season.
Tips to help identify the paralysis tick:
The larva has a long snout with a grey body
The nymph has orange legs with a pear-shaped grey body
The adult has a pear-shaped, grey body with dark bands on the sides and a very long snout
Bringing in a tick or taking a photo is useful as your veterinarian will be able to help identify the type of tick.
SIGNS
Common signs of tick paralysis:
Vomiting or gagging
Loss of voice
Dilated pupils
Off food
Instability on hind limbs
Paralysis
Change in bark or meow
Difficulty in breathing
Most dogs become ill 3-5 days following tick attachment with signs rapidly and progressively getting worse 24-48 hours later.
Pets that cannot stand have a very poor prognosis.
If your pet shows any of these signs, seek veterinary attention immediately.
MANAGEMENT
In the case of tick paralysis, urgent veterinary care is required.
Diagnosis can be complicated if the tick or the crater in which the tick may have attached, cannot be found.
Veterinary treatment may include:
Sedation to try to locate the tick or crater
Application of tick treatment to stop toxin production
Tick antiserum
General anaesthesia for dogs that have respiratory problems
Medication to control respiratory and gastric secretions, and regulate the heart rate and rhythm such as Atropine
Medication to stop vomiting such as Metoclopramide or Maropitant (Cerenia)
Antibiotics if there are concerns for aspiration pneumonia
Diuretics if fluid build up occurs within the lungs
Oxygen therapy
Artificial tears to maintain eye lubrication
Urinary catheters if there is concern for urinary output
Pets are at their most critical within the first 24 hours. Regular monitoring and nursing care is required and animals are placed in a quiet and dark area of the hospital to reduce stress.
Tips to help manage the pet at home, following veterinary treatment:
Avoid overexcitement for at least 2 weeks
Feed only small meals 2-3 times a day for 5 days
Check for ticks daily
Avoid walking in tick areas such as long grass
Veterinary recommended tick treatment
TIPS
Tips to help prevent ticks:
Using veterinary-approved tick preventatives
Avoid areas around the home where fleas and ticks like to live
Avoid bringing wild animals into your home, as they can carry bugs
Check your pet’s skin (ears, belly, face, between toes) regularly for ticks, especially after a walk. Correct removal is required to prevent the mouthparts from remaining
Avoid forest areas
Keep grassy areas short
Control rats and mice around the house
Unfortunately, no tick preventative is 100% effective throughout the whole month so it is important to comb through your pet's coat after being outdoors and ensure you apply veterinary-approved tick treatment according to the label.
Tips on how to remove a tick:
Always grab the tick by the head not the body
Use a veterinary-approved tick remover tool
Do NOT use metho, kerosene or turps
If you are unsure, seek veterinary assistance as poor removal may result in worse symptoms.