WATCH OUT!

Tick Season is here!

Is your pet protected?

Ticks are one of the nastiest external parasites that plague our companion animals. The paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is the most deadly member of the group that we see in South East Queensland. When an Ixodes tick attaches to an animal it sucks blood and in the process it pumps back in a deadly neurotoxin. This toxin is so deadly that a single dose from a tick, attached only for a short time, can render an animal unable breathe.

Tick paralysis can show up as coughing, vomiting, general lethargy, or even an animal that is wobbly or unsteady on its feet. If you find a tick, or suspect your animal to have been affected by a tick, you should contact your local vet or emergency centre immediately.  Tick paralysis is deadly but treatment is available. Those animals detected early have much better survival and recovery rates. Ticks are an external parasite and can be found even in the most inner city suburbs, not just in bushland. The Albert Animal Hospital has products available to protect your pet from ticks this Summer.