Eumundi Voice - Issue 107, 28 November 2024

Tick time

We are into prime tick time – pet owners beware! Did you know that ticks are arachnids, like spiders? They have 8 legs and inject their toxin with a bite.

There are many varieties and they are present all year round on the coast, but summer months are noticeably worse because ticks thrive in the heat and humidity. All ticks function in a similar way. When one has settled on a part of an animal’s skin, its bite injects a toxin which anaesthetises the skin. This is why we don’t feel ourselves being bitten by a tick, unlike a march fly!

The two most worrying types of tick for dog and cat owners are the brown dog tick which carries nasty infections such as ehrlichiosis, and the paralysis tick which can cause serious and often, sadly, fatal results. Yet tick prevention is freely available and relatively cheap. Treatments for dogs include the easy-to-administer monthly or 3-monthly flavoured chew, or a topical application which is absorbed through the skin. For cats the topical products are the only options against paralysis ticks.

Recently Australia has become one of the first countries to have a once-a-year injection

available for ticks and fleas. Dr Chris of Eumundi Range Rd vets explained that Bravecto Quantum utilises the same product found in the chew and topical forms but allows for a sustained absorption over 12 months.

If your pet is suffering from tick paralysis their symptoms may include subdued behaviour, wobbly walking, laboured breathing or vomiting.

The easiest way to check is to run your fingers through your pet’s coat starting with ears, head and front legs where ticks like to settle, and then work your way back towards the tail. If your pet is poorly and you do discover a tick, don’t hesitate to seek vet advice!

The alternative may be that you end up having to spend thousands of dollars to save your pet –and it’s a drastic scenario. Treatment may require prolonged hospitalisation and supportive care, and even then prognosis can be guarded. Following initial treatment animals may often take weeks to completely recover. Far better to be safe than sorry! Philippa Johnson