Spring has sprung and is the peak time on the coast for Paralysis Ticks. The scientific name for the paralysis tick is Ixodes Holocyclus. This tick occurs only on the East Coast of Australia. As the weather warms up and we continue to get rainy weather the ticks will start breeding. All domestic cats and dogs are at risk of paralysis ticks. The earliest signs are vomiting, loss of voice, increased panting and weakness in the back legs. This progresses to paralysis of the legs and respiratory muscles. If not treated early and promptly the paralysis is fatal. Treatment involves removal of the tick, administration of tick anti serum and hospitalisation and supportive care. Most pets, if treated early, recover in 2-3 days. More extreme cases may be in hospital for a week and may not survive.
Prevention of tick paralysis involves using spot-on products like Advantix and Frontline every 2 weeks, tick collars and tick rinses. Some of these products can be combined if you are in a high risk area. If you have along haired pet it is a good idea to consider having them clipped every spring. This enables daily tick searching to be performed easier and this is the best form of prevention. By searching your pet daily you will hopefully find a tick when it is small and causing minimal signs. Please come and talk to any of our friendly and well-trained nurses and vets at Doyalson Animal Hospital for more information and the best tick prevention plan for your pet.
