THIS SEASON IS A
Tick-ing Time Bomb!
– Republished with the kind permission of the Booval Pet Hospital 07 3282 6722
Ticks are most prevalent from Spring to Autumn however can occur at any time of year.
With over 70 tick cases and almost 20 snake cases treated at our Booval Vet Hospital in the past two months, it’s time for another reminder about the importance of tick prevention!
Paralysis Ticks are not particularly mobile, and rely on passing animals for a blood meal. The Paralysis Tick will crawl up the stems of grasses or along branches and ‘perch’ ready to latch on to a passing animal. Paralysis ticks will jump onto dogs and cats and then attach by burrowing their mouth-parts into the skin. They can attach anywhere even in the ears, on the lips or around the anus. However, they usually attach on the front half of the dog. They can have multiple ticks attached at once. Occasionally numerous tiny juvenile ticks can attach and cause a problem.
This season, we have had the largest amount of snake and tick cases through our doors and it has been one of the worst season we have ever seen. This influx is likely due to the mild winter, and the dry warm weather. If your dog is not yet on tick prevention, it’s a tick(ing) time bomb!
SO WHY ARE THESE LITTLE CREATURES SO DANGEROUS TO OUR DOGS? After attaching, the tick feeds on the host’s blood, injecting small amounts of saliva into the dog in the process. The tick’s saliva contains a toxin that causes the connection between the nerves and the muscles throughout the body in the dog to become disrupted. This causes weakness and ultimately paralysis. This is not just limited to the muscles involved in
Tick paralysis is a potentially devastating condition that can affect dogs and is caused by a parasite, the Paralysis Tick (Ixodes Holocyclus). The paralysis tick is usually found in a 20-kilometre wide band following the eastern coastline of Australia. The Paralysis Tick is most common in moist, humid coastal areas with abundant native animals that serve as hosts for the tick. Long grasses and bushland provide ideal environments for ticks, and if you live close to these areas, you and your dogs are at risk.
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DOG WORLD October 2021
