"Please don't forget to give me anti-tick treatment every 2 wks," says Seisia
Veterinarians in NSW have warned dog owners to take preventative measures against dangerous tick bites this summer due to a shortage of anti-serum for the potentially lethal paralysis tick.
Our wonderful vets issued the warning to dog owners yesterday after checking with fellow vets and the producers of the anti-toxin who confirmed a production shortage, which has been exacerbated by an increase in ticks due to the wet and humid weather in recent weeks.
The Double Bay Vet Clinic reported it saw four cases of paralysis tick bite on dogs in the last seven days, all from the eastern suburbs. One dog picked up the tick while walking on suburban streets rather than from Centennial Park, Cooper Park, Lough Park and other neighbourhood parks and beaches – the usual sites in which ticks breed.
Most ticks cause harmful bites but the paralysis tick injects a neurotoxin into the blood stream and can be fatal as it paralyses the dog’s muscles including, ultimately, if not detected in time, the heart and lungs. It causes the dog (and cats) a painful and completely preventable death.
“It’s likely that there are already dogs in the state (NSW) who are dying because their vets can’t get hold of the anti-serum,” Australian Veterinary Serum Laboratories director Dr Nick Jones told the Double Bay Vet Clinic.
Check your dog for ticks after every walk and if you find a tick, pull it out and take it and the dog to the vet instantly.
Be on the look out for signs of lethargy in the first instance. Other symptoms include an aversion to food, severe fatigue, and in the worst cases, foaming at the mouth and collapsed rear legs caused by muscle paralysis.
As soon as you see any of these signs, get your dog to the vet instantly.
Meanwhile, apply Advantix or Frontline every two weeks until April and buy your hound a tick-collar.
You won’t forgive yourself if you beloved pooch or cat picks up a tick and you miss it.
