Prevention better than cure when it comes to deadly paralysis ticks
Pet owners are urged to adopt pro-active measures to avoid the deadly risk of ticks!
This is a warning to all pet owners – with the rising temperatures and recent rainfalls this has now pushed the tick season into full gear. While many pet owners living in coastal regions of Australia are already well aware of the problems posed by tick infestation of their pets, there is a general lack of awareness of the need to take pro-active measures to protect pets from these potentially life-threatening parasites.
The paralysis tick is the single most dangerous parasite for dogs and cats on the eastern coast of Australia, with just one tick being capable of causing paralysis and death. Estimated to affect as many as 100,000 domestic animals each year, tick paralysis causes severe losses and distress to pets and their owners, with at least 10,000 companion animals referred to veterinarians annually for treatment of the condition1. Having a pet treated by a vet for tick paralysis can be very expensive and unfortunately, due to the devastating nature of the condition, treatment is not always successful.
The paralysis tick normally feeds on native animals such as bandicoots and possums, but also attaches to domestic animals and even humans. Paralysis ticks attach to dogs and cats when they come into contact with them in the bush, the park or even in their own backyard. Adult paralysis ticks are usually seen in late winter, spring and summer.
With summer just around the corner and many families planning holidays and travelling with their pet’s, Dr Tarj Mavi, Professional Support Veterinarian with Bayer Animal Health, suggests that it is not only people living in affected areas which need to be vigilant in their treatment against ticks. Dr Mavi stresses that people visiting coastal areas need to be aware of the dangers of these parasites and seek out an appropriate product early to ensure their dog and cats are protected when they travel to high-risk areas.
Overwhelmingly, using preventative measures to reduce the risk of tick paralysis is much more affordable for dog and cat owners and, importantly, much safer for the pet than having to treat the animal once paralysis occurs.=
“The fact of the matter is that paralysis ticks can be deadly, but pet owners have the opportunity to greatly reduce the risk of tick paralysis in their pet’s by adopting a preventative treatment regime,” said Dr Mavi, highlighting the importance of taking action early to prevent this condition.
Preventing ticks from harming dogs and cats has always been a difficult and often stressful task for pet owners; there are a few options available to help defend pets from these dangerous pests. Advantix from Bayer is formulated for dogs or Frontline Plus spray is formulated for dogs and cats to fight against these potentially deadly parasites.
Where paralysis ticks are a risk, in addition to using a preventative, thorough daily searches of the dog’s coat should be carried out – especially around the head, neck, ears and front legs (especially between the paws).
References:
1. Stone, B. (1997). Tick Paralysis: Antitoxin and vaccine, Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science, Perspective No. 3 in Fischer, N. (2005) The Paralysis Tick of Australia (Ixodes holocyclus).TAGS Inc. Australia website: www.tickalert.org.au