Vets are being overrun with a rising number of pets presenting with paralysis ticks this spring and summer in south east Australia.  In addition, more and more people are getting ticks – I personally encountered one a couple of weeks ago after going for a walk in the Beowa National Park. Ticks are unpleasant for humans and can cause illness, especially if you are a child or are allergic to ticks, but for dogs they can be fatal. As ticks consume the dog’s blood, they inject a toxin that affects the dog’s nervous system, paralysing them to the point they can no longer breathe.

Our extreme wet weather over the past two years has created the ideal humid environment for tick populations to explode. There is also a shortage of the serum needed to treat the toxins due to the number of dogs being infected with ticks. So, at present it’s super important to take preventative measures to reduce the chance of your dog getting ill from a tick.

There’s a range of products available from your pet supply or online chemist store and really it’s up to you and what suits your dog as to what is the best fit for you.

It’s also useful to grab a can of  this new product ‘Tick Tox’ from the chemist (for around $20).This is the easiest and most effective way to remove a tick and reduces the risk of the toxin being injected into the host through forceful removal with fingers or tweezers.  Tick Tox is a little spray bottle that freezes and instantly kills the tick. One spray bottle of Tick Tox can kill up to 40 ticks and will last for ages, so it’s really handy to have in your first aid kit or take with you wherever you go walking in the Australian bush. The tick will usually fall off the host within 24 hours. 

Even with tick prevention, it’s important to check your dog after each walk as many prevention treatments don’t actually stop ticks from attaching to a dog, they generally work to kill the tick once it attaches. To check for ticks on dogs, run your fingers through your dog’s coat systematically checking the whole skin surface. Approximately 85-90% of paralysis ticks will attach around the head, neck, chest and shoulders but they can be sneaky and attach anywhere, even inside the mouth, between the toes and under the tail.

If your dog walks into long grass, under trees or shrubs or if you have native wildlife near your pet’s environment, they are at higher risk. If you are travelling to other areas with your dog, make sure you protect against ticks and consider starting a preventative  treatment before travelling.

Safe travels everyone, especially our canine companions.