Tick paralysis is an EMERGENCY
Prevent Tick Toxicity in Your Pet
The Upper North Shore and Northern Beaches of Sydney are home to the deadly paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. Once attached, it can inject a neurotoxin (nerve toxin) into your pet and cause paralysis and death within several days.
Even with prompt veterinary care, dogs and cats with tick toxicity sadly have a 5-10% chance of dying.
Peak tick season extends from September to the end of February, although dogs and cats with tick toxicity are still seen during winter, so it is vital that pets are protected all year round with a veterinary recommended tick preventative.
Recommended Tick Preventatives
All of the products below are available at Turramurra Veterinary Hospital.
Dogs
- Our preferred product in dogs is a Bravecto chew given every 3 months with food
- If you prefer a monthly chew then Simparica is our recommended alternative but this means you need to give your pet lifesaving medication 12 times per year instead of 4 times
- Topical Bravecto spot-on product which can be applied to the skin on the back of the neck every 3 months, but in our experience, the chew is more reliable as a preventative product
- There is now an annual tick injection called Bravecto Quantum, which lasts 12 months and is a great option in busy households where regular preventatives may lapse, or in dogs that refuse to take oral Bravecto chews. Speak to your vet at your next annual health examination about this option or go to Bravecto Quantum Annual for further information.
Cats
Our preferred product is either:
- Felpreva spot-on applied every 3 months (also treats intestinal worms) OR
- Bravecto spot-on applied every 2 months (note this is a more frequent off-label recommendation)
Seresto Tick Collar
For extra protection in both dogs and cats, our practice recommends applying a Seresto tick collar to help repel ticks. This lasts a minimum of 4 months and up to 8 months. Collars cannot be completely relied upon as a sole preventative, but have excellent repelling action so that ticks cannot bite in the first place, so also helps to prevent tick-borne parasites from being transmitted to your pet.
Tick Searches
As with all products, there is no guarantee, so we still recommend performing a daily tick search on your pet, particularly concentrating around the head, neck and shoulders, where 70% of ticks attach to. A tick clip to keep your dog’s coat short in spring and summer can also help reduce the risk of tick paralysis because you can find the ticks more easily and remove them.
Tick Removal
If you find a tick, do not try to kill the tick while it is still attached to your pet as this can increase the amount of toxin released.
Grasp the tick at the skin level and twist and pull at the same time to dislodge the tick. A tick twister is a hook-like product which can assist in removing the whole tick quickly.
We recommend phoning our practice immediately to organise a vet to remove the tick for you during a veterinary consultation if you are unsure how to do this. Our vets can then assess your dog properly to ensure there are no clinical signs of tick toxicity.
Even after the tick is removed, your pet is still at risk of developing toxicity for up to 24 hours or more after tick removal, even if there are no clinical signs of tick toxicity at the time of tick removal.
Treating Tick Toxicity
If your pet is showing any of the above signs of tick toxicity, then it is vital that you get to a vet urgently. Do not delay! The sooner the tick anti-serum (TAS) is administered, the less neurotoxin will bind to your pet’s neuroreceptors and the better the chance of survival.
It is important that pets with suspected tick toxicity have their coat clipped very short to ensure all ticks are removed as where there is one, there may be more ticks.
The average length of hospital stay is 3-5 days, often requiring intensive care such as oxygen supplementation, or even mechanical ventilation at a 24-hour emergency hospital. Your vet will assess the severity of tick toxicity (grade) and advise you of the recommended treatment plan and whether transfer for intensive care is needed.
It is much better to prevent tick paralysis in the first place, than risk this deadly toxin affecting your pet.
If you are not sure about which preventative to use on your pet, book an appointment with one of our friendly vets to discuss the best option to prevent tick toxicity in your pet.
