As spring arrives, the eastern seaboard is bracing for another wave of tick paralysis cases – with vets urgently calling on dog owners to ensure their dogs are protected against these parasites.
September is National Tick Awareness Month and in line with this, vets are issuing an urgent warning to dog owners to be on high alert as they continue to see a steady stream of tick paralysis patients.
Tick paralysis is caused by the paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, which inhabits coastal regions of eastern Australia and is traditionally most active during the warmer spring and summer months, however, cases are seen year-round. Paralysis ticks are parasites that live by feeding on the blood of host animals, in the process injecting saliva that contains a neurotoxin which can cause signs of paralysis.
Dog owners are failing to take the appropriate steps to protect their pets from the deadly, yet preventable, paralysis tick with research showing that just under half of dogs (48%) living in paralysis tick areas are on tick prevention. This has dropped five percent (5%) in the past two years.
Dr Heather Russell, a member of The Australian Paralysis Tick Advisory Panel, and a vet at the Northside Emergency Veterinary Service (NEVS) has put out an urgent call to pet owners to take simple steps to protect their pets.
Dr Heather says, “Quite simply, the risk of not being protected against paralysis ticks all year-round is a matter of life or death.”
“Tick paralysis can be fatal. I’ve seen too many cases in my clinic already this year that could have been prevented. This is why it is so important for pet owners to be able to recognise the signs and even more importantly, to be protecting their pets with an effective tick control product.”
Research shows that since 2015 when the new isoxazoline class of tick control products, such as NexGard® and NexGard Spectra®, became widely available, there has been a greater than 50% reduction in the number of cases of tick paralysis presenting to veterinary clinics.2
Signs of tick paralysis can vary, and may include:
• Altered mobility, which may include loss of coordination and weakness
• Laboured or rapid breathing, grunting noises, and/or abdominal heaving
• Change or loss of bark
• Coughing
• Gagging and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Inability to blink in one or both eyes
• Appearing generally unwell
“In addition to watching out for the signs of tick paralysis, it is essential to check your pet daily for
ticks, even if they are on a tick control product,” concluded Dr Heather.
How to check your dog for ticks:
1. Gently move your fingertips through the coat at the level of the skin, feeling for any bumps.
2. Start at the head and neck – don’t forget the mouth and ears – and continue down the front legs to the paws, checking between and under the toes. Search the chest, belly, back, tail, and back legs.
3. Remove the collar and search for ticks that may be hiding underneath it.
