Ticks on Dogs: A Growing Problem
The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is sadly responsible for the death of many East coast Australian animals every year. There are other types of ticks too, and ticks can be found just about everywhere, and as the weather warms up, their natural range grows. While paralysis ticks can be fatal for dogs, thankfully there are many ways to manage the risk they present. Understanding the dangers tick pose is the second** step in keeping your canine safe.
(**the first step is using a reliable tick prevention product!)
Paralysis ticks
Even if you don’t live in a paralysis tick location, a different kind of commonly encountered tick, the brown dog tick, is capable of causing anaemia from blood loss, and spreading tick-borne diseases. Brown dog ticks are found everywhere in Australia.
Where in Australia are paralysis ticks found?
If you live, holiday, or board your dog anywhere along the east coast of Australia, you need to be aware of the paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. Check your location on this paralysis tick map found on the Australian Museum website.
Seasonality of paralysis ticks
Dogs must keep their guard up all throughout the year, but especially in the warmer months of Spring and Summer (September to March), as this is when ticks are most active.
How do paralysis ticks make dogs sick?
A single tick is capable of killing even the largest of dogs by injecting a toxin into the bloodstream.
This toxin directly affects your dog’s nerves for:
- movement
- breathing
- swallowing
You may find the tick attached to your dog’s skin, or it may have fallen off and left a red, raised lump called a “crater”.
Where do dogs pick up ticks?
Ticks are found in bushes and long grass. Even if you and your dog don’t wander off the beaten path or spend much time out in nature, it doesn’t mean you won’t ever encounter ticks, even in southern Australia. Native Australian animals, including birds and possums are reservoir hosts for ticks, spreading ticks further than you may think - even dropping ticks on dogs in apartment buildings!
What are the signs of tick paralysis?
Ticks can be attached to your pup’s skin anywhere from 1 to 5 days before they show any symptoms [1]. Clinical signs are progressive, meaning they become worse with time as the tick injects more toxin:
Initial stage:
- Change in bark (due to laryngeal paralysis)
- Weakness or wobbly walk starting in the back legs
- Vomiting or regurgitation
Advanced stage:
- Coughing, gagging, grunting sounds
- Laboured breathing, progressing to 'huffing'
- Unable to stand or lift their head
- Pneumonia
- Heart failure (myocardial depression from cardiotoxic effects)
- Distress
You should seek urgent veterinary advice if you find a tick on your dog.
What do I do if I find a paralysis tick on my dog?
If you find a tick on your dog, it needs to be removed as soon as possible. You can do this yourself at home. Keep your dog calm and in a cool, quiet space.
Do not give any food or water to a dog potentially affected by tick paralysis, as they may accidentally choke.
Even if a tick is removed it is still important that you take your dog to a vet. Dogs can deteriorate within hours, and continue to worsen up to three days later, even if the tick is removed, so early treatment is key to a successful recovery.
Expert tips: Always do another search of your dog's whole body to check for more ticks. If possible, get two different people to search. Your veterinarian will clip your dog's fur to ensure that no more ticks are present. Be mindful to balance this with not causing more stress.
How is tick paralysis treated?
- Tick antitoxin serum: Thankfully, tick antitoxin made by an Australian company AVSL exists, but only in a limited supply. The earlier the antitoxin is given by a veterinarian, the better the prognosis.
-
Hospital care: Animals affected by tick paralysis will need to stay in hospital anywhere between 2 days to a couple of weeks if needing mechanical ventilation to support their breathing.
- Supportive Care: Because the paralysis can affect breathing muscles, severely affected dogs may require oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation.
Can ticks spread disease?
Even if you don’t live in a region where paralysis ticks commonly inhabit, the brown dog tick is capable of causing health issues. While tick-related diseases are uncommon, dogs and their humans can both contract various diseases from bacteria spread by different types of ticks.
Can I catch a tick disease from my dog?
If your dog gets infected, you can’t catch disease from your dog, since these diseases can only be transmitted by tick bites.
What canine tick diseases are in Australia?
Recently, a small number of dogs in Australia have been infected with the bacteria Erlichia canis after being bitten by brown dog ticks. It has been diagnosed in the Northern Territory, northwestern Queensland and the northern regions of Western Australia and South Australia [2].
Some other bacterial diseases spread by ticks in Australia are the Rickettsial infections:
- Queensland Tick Typhus (R. australis)
- Flinders Island Spotted Fever (R. honeii)
- Australian Spotted Fever (R. marmionii)
Tick prevention products
When it comes to ticks, all-year-round prevention is absolutely imperative rather than treatment. There are a wide variety of products that can be used to control ticks on your dog.
Most products such as oral chews and topical solutions work by killing ticks once they bite your dog’s skin. The tick will swallow the chemical, causing them to die and eventually drop off. Tick collars and sprays work by repelling ticks.
Consult your vet and talk to them about your dog and the places you like to go. They will have good suggestions about products and applications.
Collie dogs and anti-parasite drugs
If you’ve got a Border Collie dog, it could be worth doing genetic testing. Make sure you check the drug product label carefully, as this breed may carry a gene (MDR1) that makes them susceptible to drugs like Ivermectin. Talk to your vet about testing for this gene and appropriate drug doses for your dog[3].
Extra ways to keep ticks away during tick season
In addition to medications, incorporating these extra tick prevention measures can provide an extra layer of protection for your doggo:
- Daily tick searches
- Keep their hair short with a summer clip. This makes it easier to identify and remove ticks early.
- Tidy up the garden to remove long grasses and bushy scrub
- Be cautious when walking in bushland with lots of wildlife
- Remember to routinely administer tick prevention medications on time!
Following these small steps can greatly reduce your pup’s risk of tick exposure so they can focus on summertime shenanigans!
How to remove a tick from your dog
If a tick is found, remove it immediately, keep it for identification and seek vet advice. There is more than one way to remove a tick effectively [4], use:
- a tick removal device
- tweezers, or
- fingers in a twisting and plucking action [1]
To remove a tick,
- Spread your dog’s fur
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible
- Very gentle, pull straight upward in a slow, steady motion
The severe allergic reactions that occur when ticks are removed from humans have not been reported in dogs [5]
Remember! Complete at least two full body searches on your dog as multiple ticks could be present, and call your local vet straight away!
What happens if I leave the tick head in my dog’s skin?
Don’t worry too much about leaving the head in your dog’s skin. There’s no evidence to suggest that it will continue to pump toxins [6] once the body has been removed. By the same token, leaving part of the head in the skin does not increase the chances of your dog catching a tick-borne disease [7].
Dogs that have had ticks removed can still develop symptoms, so you should still seek urgent veterinary advice, even if you think your dog is okay.
Home remedies for ticks that don't work
- Using vaseline or alcohol to kill ticks on dogs isn't recommended. Remove ticks ASAP using tweezers or even just your fingers
- Administering essential oils, like Cedar oil (irritating) and tea tree oil (toxic) should never be used as a home remedy for ticks. They don't work and are harmful to dogs.
- Apple cider vinegar is not an effective tick preventative and will not kill or repel ticks effectively.
- Diatomaceous earth must never be applied directly to your dog. It's not effective for tick control, and could cause pulmonary (lung) damage if inhaled, or serious gastrointestinal signs if consumed.
Can diet prevent ticks or treat tick paralysis?
Although our food is super, it’s not that super. Diet alone does not prevent ticks or treat tick paralysis.
Incorporating a daily tick search into your dog's routine, however, can be a lifesaver, especially in tick-prone areas. Turn meal times into a reward by offering their food as a treat after a thorough check, helping to prevent tick paralysis while reinforcing good behaviour.
Scientific research** indicates our dental treats are pawfect for this!
**Labrador-y testing sponsored by your dog
References
[1] Atwell, R., The Merck Veterinary Manual, in Overview of Tick Paralysis. 2014, Merck & Co., INC., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA
[3] Gribbles Veterinary Pathology, Multidrug resistance (MDR1) gene test
[4] Zenner, L., et al (2006) Evaluation of four manual tick-removal devices for dogs and cats. Vet Rec, 159(16), 526-9
[5] National Tick Paralysis Forum 1 (1999) Bulletin #1 Tick Poisoning in Dogs and Cats, Ixodes holocyclus, a unique Australian parasite. Merial Australia Limited.
[6] Lowchen Australia (2009), The Paralysis Tick of Australia
