IndexArticles
12th Nov 2008
Ticks are bloodsucking ectoparasites: parasites that live on the exterior of an animal. There are around 70 species of tick in Australia. The most common species along the east coast of Australia are the bush tick, the cattle tick and the paralysis tick.
The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, lives on native animals such as bandicoots and wallabies. Generally the native hosts are unaffected by the ticks but the paralysis tick regularly attaches to animals, most commonly found on dogs on the east coast of Australia.
The paralysis tick can vary in size. It is lighter in colour than the cattle tick and bush tick, has longer and stronger legs, and larger mouthparts. The male is a flat, oval, yellowish-brown tick. The unfed female is also yellowish in colour but, as it engorges on blood, it becomes grayish with a brown line (in the shape of a shield) encircling the body.
A fully engorged female tick may be 15 – 18 mm in length. Its legs are in a V shaped line from its snout down the sides of its body.
IF YOU FIND A TICK ON YOUR DOG OR CAT, TAKE THE TICK TO A VETERINARY CLINIC TO IDENTIFY IT IMMEDIATELY.
Paralysis ticks are a three-host tick. This means that the tick must attach and feed on a new host (native animals or dogs) on three separate occasions in order to complete its lifecycle.
The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, lives in a narrow coastal band on the east coast of Australia in an area stretching from Lakes Entrance, Victoria, to the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.
Paralysis ticks are usually found in bushland or scrubby areas, particularly around long grass and moist areas. They can also be picked up in open areas, and urban areas with a bushland setting
Paralysis ticks are most active from August through to December. They can be found at any time of the year. Ticks need humidity and mild weather to develop; they will not survive and breed in cold and dry climates.
The adult paralysis tick climbs onto vegetation and when an animal passes, waves its forelegs (known as questing) until it makes contact with the/a host.
Only the female tick will attach to the host, while the male tick wanders over the animal looking for a female to mate with. Once attached, the female tick begins to feed by burrowing its mouthparts into the animal’s skin and sucking blood. After attachment and feeding, it starts producing a very potent toxin contained within its saliva that affects the animal’s central nervous system and causes progressive paralysis. The tick continues to inject increasing amounts of toxin into the animal with the peak amount injected on the 5th and 6th days.
Tick paralysis can be successfully treated provided it is recognised early and veterinary assistance is sought quickly. Treatment usually involves administration of antiserum and other supportive care. It may be expensive, as animals/pets have to be admitted to the vet clinic for a number of days of intensive care to recover.
Each year more than 1000 dogs die following tick poisoning in Australia and 5% of tick victims die despite treatment. (a statistic for cats would ideal incorporated here too)
o Weakness in the back legs, progressing to the front legs
o Appearing ‘wobbly’ and uncoordinated
o Coughing
o Change in tone of bark
o A grunt on breathing
o Difficulty swallowing
o Drooling
o Vomiting
Checking your pet daily for ticks can help prevent tick paralysis because the tick usually has to be on the animal for more than two days to cause paralysis. If you live in a tick-infested area you should examine your pet for ticks on a daily basis. If you have taken your pet for a walk through the bush or have been camping with your dog, then examining it when you are back home is also a good idea.
Carefully feel all over your pet, paying particular attention to the head and neck, inside the ears and mouth, between the toes and under the front legs, and around the anal and genital areas.
The majority of ticks (78%) are found forward of the front legs.
Ticks are easier to find if you rub your fingertips through your pet’s coat rather than just trying to find them visually.
Contact your veterinarian immediately for advice. It is possible to worsen the pet’s condition by removing the tick incorrectly.
Don’t try to remove ticks by brushing as this may leave the tick’s head and mouthparts attached, causing an infection at the attachment site.
It is recommended that you manually remove the tick using a pair of tweezers. Grasp the tick by the head and mouthparts where they enter the skin and rotate the tick anti-clockwise. DO NOT grasp the tick by the body and do not pull it directly out without rotation. You may prefer to use a commercial ‘hook’, specifically designed to aid in the manual removal of ticks.
Take your pet to your veterinarian. This is vital as the residue of the tick’s toxin under the skin can cause problems. Although the tick has been killed or removed, the animal can still become paralysed from its residue of toxin. The toxin is slowly absorbed and may cause paralysis hours, or even a day or two, later. It is important to remove all ticks – a 4mm long engorged tick may be as toxic as a 10mm long engorged tick.
• Paralysis ticks are lethal; cats that are allowed to roam, or who are in enclosures in bushland are at high risk.
• Preventatives available for dogs – e.g. Advantix spot-on, Frontline spot-on, Preventix collars. These preventatives are lethal to cats so must not be used around them or on dogs that interact with cats, and there are no preventative treatments for cats at present unfortunately. The only preventative is to keep them totally indoors, out of harm’s way, or to keep them in enclosures with concrete bases extending beyond the actual enclosure and keep lawns and gardens well clear of the enclosure.
