Like people our four legged friends love to go adventuring, whether this be on a warm sunny beach or through luscious long green grass. Now that the weather is warming up and there is humidity in the air, tick paralysis season is here. Whilst tick paralysis is not common here in Central Queensland it is becoming more prominent within the area, for both our lovely travelling clients coming from the coast and locally.
How does my dog get tick paralysis and why is it so dangerous?
| Paralysis ticks spread their misery by jumping onto our beloved dogs and cats, attaching themselves by burrowing their mouth parts into the skin. Paralysis ticks prefer to attach to the warmest parts of our pets, mostly being the front half, however they can attach anywhere and often having multiple on the animal. Tick paralysis is so harmful to our beloved animals, this is because in order to survive, a tick feeds on the host’s blood, and during this process the tick injects small but potent amounts of salvia into the blood stream. This saliva contains a toxin that disrupts the connection between the muscles and nerves in the body, causing weakness and paralysis. This is particularly dangerous as this hinders our pet’s ability to swallow, blink, stand, walk and breathe. All of these factors can lead to serious life threatening conditions quickly. |  |
How long do symptoms take to occur?
In general terms, a tick has to be attached to a dog for about 4 days in order for their toxins to take effect. Other factors affecting the severity of a tick bite include, size of the tick, how many ticks are on the animal and the susceptibility of the animal itself.
Signs of Tick Paralysis
If your dog or cat is bitten by a tick, they may show the following signs:
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Weakness
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Incoordination
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Vomiting or retching
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Change in sound of bark or meow
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Difficulty breathing
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Collapse
If you suspect your Dog or Cat has been bitten by a Tick
There is no home treatment for tick paralysis but here’s what you can do on the way to your local vet clinic.
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Remember TIME is critical, the sooner you can get your pet to the vet the better. If you see your pet has a tick on them it is important to remove them, this can be done with a tick remover or tweezers – ENSURE THE HEAD IS OUT – however if you cannot locate a tick this does not mean they don’t have one or haven’t had one, it is best to take your pet to a veterinary clinic even if they are only displaying symptoms to ensure they can be treated.
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Stay calm and keep your pet as still and quiet as possible – this can help slow down toxin absorption.
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DO NOT wait until symptoms develop if you have located and removed the tick, the sooner you get into the clinic the better prognosis your pet has to recover from tick paralysis as toxins remain in their systems even after removal.
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Immediately travel to your local vet clinic, calling on the way if possible to better prepare the team for your arrival.
Veterinary Treatment
On arrival to the clinic, your pet will be triaged by the veterinary team and assess what emergency care may be required for your pet. Every case is different so if on arrival your pet is stable, the veterinarian will perform a physical exam and will perform a tick search to determine if there are still any remaining on the animal, in some cases with longer hair dogs and double coated dogs vets may have to shave the fur away to ensure a thorough search is completed. In more severe cases, your pet may require immediate oxygen therapy.
If it is determined that tick paralysis is the cause for your pets discomfort, a tick antiserum is administered along with other injectable medications to make your pet is as comfortable as possible. Your animal is monitored very closely and put on fluids to ensure they are still staying hydrated as they often lose their ability to swallow on their own whilst they are paralysed. Some pets will lose their swallow or gag reflex and will not be able to go home until paralysis is reduced, reflexes have returned and vitals are normal. Some pets can be hospitalised anywhere from 24 hours up to a week.
Prevention
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Take special care during tick season, ensure your pet is covered with any flea and tick prevention – Bravecto, simparica trio, nexguard are just a few.
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If you are going to the coast or tick dense areas make sure you do checks on your pets to ensure that they haven’t picked any up on their adventures.
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Where possible, keep cats indoors.
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Remember ticks are not always brought about on your animal they can be brought home on people, cloths, swags and anything that has come from a coastal area!
Home care
Complete Rest:
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Please confine to a small area, for example the size of a dog pen, laundry or small yard; tie up dogs if needed. Please ensure adequate shade at all times.
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Restrict exercise for 1 week, then introduce slowly as your dog will tire easily initially.
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For cats keep indoors for 1 week then slowly allow them to go outside for short periods gradually building in time once back to full strength.
Feeding:
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Please feed soft food until toilet habits return to normal; mild constipation may otherwise occur.
Depending on how your pet responds to the first dose of antiserum, they can be treated again as they are still susceptible to tick paralysis again. If you have any questions about tick paralysis or suspect your pet has been bitten call your vet immediately 07 4987 6800.