Tick season has arrived early.
Flagstone resident Sarah McWatt recently took to Facebook to warn her community of the fact after discovering a paralysis tick on her cat.
“Luckily he wasn’t engorged,” she said.
Media veterinarian Katrina Warren confirmed that tick season had indeed arrived early.
“Paralysis tick cases are already being reported by veterinary clinics, especially in Queensland, and with experts predicting a bad season ahead, pet owners must proactively protect their animals,” Dr Warren said.
“Over the past twenty years I have seen many heart breaking situations where people have lost their beloved dogs to tick paralysis or spent thousands of dollars in vet bills.
“These ticks can be lethal and preventative treatment, coupled with daily searching for ticks on your dog, is absolutely essential.”
Ms McWatt said she had purchased a tick tool off eBay which worked very well.
“You just slide it under the tick, twist and pull it out, always making sure the head is out,” she said.
“My cat is a ragdoll cross tabby, quite fluffy, so I’m checking him a few times a day.”
After finding the tick Ms McWatt sent her cat to Jimboomba vet to be sedated, shaved and treated with tick prevention so he could be more manageable.
“Keeps our pets safe this tick season,” she said.
Director and Veterinary Specialist at The Animal Emergency Service, Dr Rob Webster said using tick prevention could save your pet’s life.
“It’s the most important thing you can do for their health,” he said.
Australia’s paralysis tick season runs from about September to March, when adult female ticks are most abundant.
Symptoms
The paralysis tick causes symptoms in a variety of forms, but typically starts with weakness of the hindquarters, progressing to total paralysis of all four legs.
Other early symptoms include the appearance that the dog has something stuck in its throat, vomiting or heavy, loud breathing.
Dogs should be inspected daily for ticks and, if a tick is found, it needs to be removed immediately with finger nails, tweezers or a tick-removing device.
