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Tick Paralysis – An Introduction

It is caused by ticks which excrete a toxin that affects the nervous system of mammals, more specifically caused from female tick bites, and it can turn deadly if not treated. Tick bites often produce a flaccid paralysis, when they bite, which causes your dog to suddenly feel weak and have no muscular tone. Some mammals are not affected by tick bites, such as cats, as they seem to be immune to it, and likewise, not all breeds of dogs are effected, and even some animals only experience some side effects in their hind limbs.

However, while some animals are not quite as affected by tick bites as others, some pets may fall into an extremely critical condition which can ascend up the entire body and affect their respiratory system and front limbs. Therefore, you should always know how to distinguish the signs of paralysis caused by ticks, so that you can get the symptoms under control and remove the ticks before things turn worse.

Read on to discover how you can easily prevent a deadly situation for your pooch.

Symptoms and Signs

Usually the signs will start 5-7 days after the tick has actually bit your dog, but it will usually take a few tick bites simultaneously in order for paralysis to actually begin occurring. Another issue with ticks, is that they can easily hide underneath your dogs fur, and are not easily detected, which is why you should always look for the symptoms, such as weakness and poor coordination in their hind legs. Dogs can also exhibit difficulty when swallowing, breathing, and chewing, but there will be no signs of a fever or regular illness symptoms aside from these.

Death can occur within hours from respiratory failure, because the muscles in the chest become paralyzed, which is why you must always check for these signs when you notice that your dog seems less mobile.

Diagnosing for Paralysis

Most often, paralysis is diagnosed based on the symptoms, and also if your dog has a rapidly worsening condition.

It also can depend on the seasons of the year, but rapid recovery occurs the instance that the ticks are removed. Since the diagnosis relies a lot on the early signs of paralysis, you should also regularly check your dog for ticks, especially if you notice his/her behavior change, or if you are often outdoors in regions where there are ticks.

Treating Tick Paralysis

Since the ticks can be removed, all you have to do is find them. You may have a hard time finding all of the ticks, or the tick, if your dog has a lot of fur, because ticks normally burrow into the skin, which means you may have to shave your dog for the time being, before they cause serious harm to your pooch.

Once the tick is removed, most dogs will quickly recover, but if your dog is severely affective, then he/she may require supportive care from a veterinarian, or artificial respiration may be required.

An antitoxin is also available which can be given to your dog so that he/she can be cured quickly.

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