Gympie vet warns pet owners: Look out for this winter threat

Dr Cara McDougall fully agrees with The Australian Veterinary Association's call for owners to be vigilant in the cooler months.

STILL A THREAT: Gympie Vet Dr Cara McDougall said ticks and fleas are still common through winter. Picture: Josh Preston

A GYMPIE vet has echoed the The Australian Veterinary Association's calls for pet owners to stay on the lookout for parasites as winter hits full swing.

Dr Cara McDougall said ticks and fleas were still common through the cooler months, and not just for animals.

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"I think a lot of people assume tick paralysis is a summer problem, but it's not.

"We're definitely seeing tick cases at the moment, on a personal note I pulled a tick off my chin yesterday, so they're definitely around.

"We strongly recommend tick prevention and flea prevention all year round. Fleas are also a big issue, we've occasionally seen animals with so many fleas they're anaemic.

"We treated a cat tick case yesterday, we've had a couple of dogs through the week with tick paralysis.

"All year round is the way to go for prevention.”

This diagram shows a paralysis tick at different stages of life. Picture: Contributed

AVA President Dr Paula Parker said parasites "can still live quite comfortably outside and in your home” during winter.

"Paralysis ticks tend to attach to the head and neck area of the pet and on the chest and the front of the leg but can be found on any part of the body. Ticks release a toxin when they feed, which leads to a potentially fatal condition known as tick paralysis,” Dr Parker said.

"Common initial signs of tick paralysis include difficulty walking, gurgling and choking. Dogs may not be able to bark properly.”

Dr Parker said pet owners should also check dogs and cats regularly by running their hands over the animal to feel for anything unusual.

She said taking affected pets to the vet was critically important as animals "can be affected by the toxin for several days after the tick has been removed”.

Dr McDougall said the summertime misconception often resulted in owners being "caught out”.

"A lot of people are educated and we try to educate but we don't reach everyone.

"People's lives are so busy now that time gets away from them.

"There are products available now which are really effective and pretty much 100% protective.

"It's better to prevent rather than treat from a cost point of view and from an animal survival point of view.”