Tag Archives: paralysis ticks

Caring for your Cat, Caring for your Dog, general

Spring Safety Reminders

With the change in season comes a few new safety topics for pet owners to be aware of. In this article we will be covering four Spring and Summer related health topics;
  • Grass Seeds
  • Heat Stress
  • Snake Safety
  • Paralysis Ticks

Grass Seeds

Unfortunately with the beautiful spring weather and rapid growth of vegetation comes grass seeds. These seeds have a sharp tip and barbed end, allowing them to puncture skin easily and even migrate through the body. At Hall Vet Surgery we often see patients who have these little suckers in their paws, ears, eyes, nostrils and even genitals, ouch!

The best way to avoid grass seeds is to avoid long grass, keep grass on your own property mowed and don’t allow your pet to run through long grass on walks. If your pet has long fur, trimming their fur (especially their paws) can also dramatically reduce their chances of ending up with grass seeds embedded in their skin.

For more information and a list of symptoms to keep an eye out for, see: Grass Seeds Information.

Heat Stress

Heat Stress is extremely dangerous for our pets, in severe cases it can cause irreversible damage to internal organs and can even be fatal. Unlike us, our pets are unable to sweat and are less efficient in cooling themselves down. As pets rely on panting as their primary way of eliminating excess body heat, brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds are much more at risk due to their inability to breath and pant as efficiently. Pets who are overweight, have heart disease, are very young or very old are also at increased risk.

Ensuring your pet ALWAYS has access to water, shade and a well ventilated area is the number one way to prevent heat stress. Exercising your pet at cooler times in the day and not allowing them to over exert themselves is also extremely important.

For more tips and tricks see: Preventing Heatstroke.

Snake Safety

As snakes hibernate during the colder months the vast majority of snake bites take place in Spring and Summer. Snakes are commonly found in areas with long grass, rocks and other hiding holes, often near a fresh water source such as a creek or dam.

It is important to remember that most snakes will try to avoid you and your pets. However, whilst we humans may simply walk away from a snake, our pet’s are inquisitive, armed with natural hunting instincts and when given the chance, will harass snakes often resulting in snake bites.

The best ways to prevent snake bites are:

  • Avoid areas with grass any longer than ankle height
  • Always keep your dog on lead when walking, do not let your dog investigate off path/in long grass
  • Keep your backyard tidy, mowed and remove any rubbish that would make a nice hiding spot for a snake
  • Consider building a cat enclosure for cats that like to venture outdoors

Symptoms to look out for:

  • Vomiting
  • Sudden weakness
  • Collapse (can seem to ‘recover’ shortly after)
  • Twitching of the muscles
  • Hyper-salivation
  • Dilated pupils non-responsive to light
  • Blood in urine
  • Paralysis

What to do if you think your pet may have been bitten by a snake:
If you suspect your pet has been bitten by a snake you should keep them as quiet/still as possible whilst seeking immediate veterinary attention. Snake bite envenomation is life-threatening, the sooner your pet is treated the better their chances of survival.

Unless you are certain the snake is dead do not put yourself at risk trying to identify it. Never attempt to catch or harm a snake. Additional information on prevention and treatment of snake bites can be found, here.

Paralysis Ticks

Many Canberra residents like to head to the coast during the Spring and Summer months and often enjoy bringing their furry family members along for the ride. It is absolutely imperative that your pets receive tick prevention before you head to the coast, even if they’re not coming with you, as ticks can even hitch a ride back with you and attach to your pet at home!

Paralysis ticks are capable of killing an animal within 3-4 days of attaching if they have not received tick prevention prior. Thankfully most paralysis tick patients who receive veterinary treatment will recover, but using preventatives is a far safer and cost effective option.

There are lots of convenient and cost effective prevention options on the market nowadays, from chews to topical treatments, one to six months coverage and options that cover for fleas and ticks alone or fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworm all in one.

Early signs of tick paralysis include:

  • Tiredness or lethargy
  • Staggering, wobbliness or loss of coordination
  • Trouble standing, sitting or raising from a laying position
  • Vomiting or gagging
  • Harsh breathing sounds or breathing difficulty
  • Change in the sound of their bark or meow

If your pet is showing any of the above symptoms after they, or you, have been to the coast we recommend seeking veterinary attention immediately. The sooner your pet receives treatment, the better there chance of survival.

If you find a tick on your pet and their are no symptoms that they may be unwell, we still recommend booking in for a consultation. It is helpful for us to be able to identify the tick under the microscope and have a discussion about what to look out for as symptoms can develop even after the paralysis tick is removed.

FOR FURTHER ADVICE ON SUITABLE TICK PREVENTION PRODUCTS FOR YOUR PETS, OR ANY OF THE ABOVE TOPICS, PLEASE CALL OUR FRIENDLY CUSTOMER CARE TEAM ON (02) 6230 2223.

Caring for your Cat, Caring for your Dog, Cats, Dogs, Medicines & Treatments

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Paralysis ticks have moved to Canberra!

Every year many companion pets die from tick paralysis. Until recently the risk of tick paralysis was confined to pets that visited the coast or contacted a tick brought back from the coast, for example in rugs or vegetation.

However, we are now seeing tick paralysis in pets whose owners have not recently travelled outside of the Canberra region.

Paralysis ticks appear to have developed the ability to survive the cooler, drier Canberra climate and whilst more prevalent from August to March and after heavy rain, ticks are a risk to pets all year round.

Paralysis ticks are capable of killing a pet within three to four days of attaching, so don’t delay.

Early signs include tiredness, staggering, vomiting, breathing difficulty, progressing to paralysis. The signs may continue to worsen even after the tick is removed.

Although most pets treated for tick paralysis survive, prevention is much safer and far less expensive. Tick prevention products vary between dogs and cats. They also vary in efficacy as well as length of protection. Please talk with our staff about the most suitable tick protection for your pet.

Not all ticks are dangerous. Bush ticks are occasionally seen locally but do not cause illness. The most effective action is, if you find a tick on your pet, bring it with you to the vet to be identified.

PREVENTION

 

TICK PREVENTATIVES

Newer products in the form of chewable tablets, such as NexGard and Bravecto are providing effective tick protection for dogs. The rinses and top spots that we previously used for dogs are less effective and can be toxic to cats that groom or have close physical contact with recently treated dog.

For cats, prevention options are more limited and we recommend Frontline® spray, although the Frontline® Plus top spot or Seresto flea collars may provide some protection.

DAILY SEARCHING

This is recommended even in pets receiving tick prevention treatment as none are 100% reliable. The ticks may attach anywhere but are more often found on the front half of the body.

 CLIPPING THE COAT

Trimming the hair assists in searching for ticks. Be prepared, if your pet has a long coat and presents to us with suspected tick toxicity, we may want to shave their entire coat to aid the tick search.

If symptoms of tick toxicity are noticed, a thorough search of the animal should be made and a veterinarian contacted immediately. Do not offer food or water to animals suffering from paralysis as their inability to swallow may cause an aspiration pneumonia.

Ticks can be very hard to find, so don’t rule out tick paralysis if you cannot find one. There may also be more than one tick on the pet. If a tick is found on a pet which is not exhibiting signs, remove the tick by firmly grasping the tick close to the skin and plucking it off. Keep searching and remove any other ticks.

So long as signs do not develop, there is the option to keep your pet quiet and cool for 24 hours. Please keep the tick in case it is required for identification.

If you are at all uncertain, call for an appointment and bring your pet in for a vet check. Depending on the case, we may recommend home monitoring, or monitoring for signs in hospital
+/- treatment with anti-serum.

TREATMENT

Veterinary treatment of tick paralysis includes:

  • Thorough searching and removal of all ticks. This may require clipping the coat.
  • Application of a tickicidal wash or spray.
  • Administration of tick anti-serum.
  • Oxygen supplementation if necessary which may require transfer to an emergency centre for overnight monitoring or ventilation.
  • Maintaining hydration using intravenous fluid treatment, until the pet is able to swallow and therefore eat and drink again.
  • Keeping the pet cool, relaxed and comfortable

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF TICK PARALYSIS?

Signs of tick paralysis vary depending on the length of time the tick has been on the animal, as well as the potency of the toxin, which can vary between ticks.

Signs include:

  • A change in vocalisation
  • Increased or laboured breathing
  • Coughing
  • Excessive salivation
  • Vomiting or regurgitation
  • Weakness in the hind legs, which typically progresses to involve the forelimbs

IF YOU FIND A TICK ON YOUR PET CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY

The toxin produced by paralysis ticks is very potent. Even when the tick is removed, most animals get worse before they get better. This is because the toxin already in the animal’s body continues to circulate and attaches to nerves for a period of time. Remove food and water as your pet’s ability to swallow may be compromised, putting your pet at risk of inhaling food and developing aspiration pneumonia.