Australian paralysis ticks are among the most dangerous parasites pets can encounter. Found along eastern coastal areas of Australia, these ticks inject a neurotoxin that can cause progressive paralysis and can be fatal. Understanding their habitat, using suitable prevention and checking your pet daily all help reduce the risk.
If you find a tick or a tick crater where one may have detached, contact a vet promptly, even if your pet seems well. Signs of tick paralysis require emergency veterinary care immediately.
What Are Paralysis Ticks?
The paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) attaches to a host animal and feeds on blood over several days. As it feeds, it secretes a neurotoxin through its saliva that interferes with communication between nerves and muscles.
A single paralysis tick can cause life-threatening illness. Dogs and cats of any age, breed or size can be affected.
Where Paralysis Ticks Live
Paralysis ticks favour warm, humid environments along Australia's eastern coastal areas. They occur in bushland, coastal scrub and areas with dense vegetation and native wildlife.
Long grass, leaf litter and the edges of walking tracks are common habitats. Your pet does not need to venture deep into the bush to pick one up: ticks can also be present in suburban backyards bordering native scrub.
Ticks are often more active during warmer, wetter months, but risk can persist throughout the year. Ask your vet about year-round prevention for your area and any places you plan to visit.
Signs of Tick Paralysis in Dogs and Cats
Signs can develop over several days and may include:
- Wobbly or unsteady back legs
- A changed or weaker bark or meow
- Excessive drooling or difficulty swallowing
- Laboured breathing
- Vomiting or retching
- General weakness or reluctance to stand
Seek emergency veterinary care immediately if these signs occur. Do not wait to find a tick or for symptoms to worsen.
How to Protect Your Pet
Ask your vet to help select a preventive specifically labelled for paralysis ticks and suitable for your pet's species, weight and age. Follow the label's application and repeat-treatment instructions. No preventive guarantees complete protection.
Dog products can poison cats. Never use a dog-only tick treatment on a cat, and follow any label precautions about contact between treated dogs and cats.
Daily Full-Body Tick Checks
Even with preventive treatment, daily full-body tick searches remain essential. Run your fingertips through your pet's entire coat, working methodically from nose to tail. Pay close attention to:
- Inside and behind the ears, around the eyes and lips
- The head, neck, chest and under the collar
- Between the toes and in the armpits
- The tail and groin area
If you find a tick, contact your vet promptly and remove it using an appropriate tick-removal tool, following that tool's instructions. Continue checking for other ticks. Removal does not end the risk: illness can develop or worsen afterwards. Do not substitute home monitoring for veterinary advice.
Further guidance: UQ VETS: Cat and dog tick paralysis.