Local vet urges pet owners to prioritise prevention against paralysis ticks

A local vet is urging Cairns pet owners to prioritise prevention as numbers for a deadly intruder begin to rise.

A LOCAL vet is urging Cairns dog and cat owners to prioritise prevention as peak paralysis tick season continues.

My Pet Hub Redlynch, Brinsmead and Balaclava lead vet Dr Max Fargher said tick season in the Far North will continue until December.

“Unfortunately for us in Cairns and Tropical North Queensland, the high humidity provides the ideal environment for paralysis ticks, which means there can be a lot of them around and they can kill your pet,” Dr Fargher said.

Dr Fargher said there were some signs to look out for if your pet has been bitten by a paralysis tick including difficult breathing, trouble walking particularly in the back leg and if there is a change in their normal behaviour.

Little Don cools off at the Goomboora dog park. Picture: Emily Barker.

“If the owner finds a tick on the dog, it is not adequate to remove the tick,” he said.

“The poison moves slowly, (and) that means is if you find the dog and the dog looks in pain, the poison will stay in their system for three days so take them straight to the vet.”

But he said there was a way to avoid this.

“Now is the time to talk to your local vet about a paralysis tick and flea treatment plan for your dog or cat to help protect them now and in the future,” Dr Fargher said.

Cases of tick paralysis have already been reported at clinics.

Originally published as Local vet urges pet owners to prioritise prevention against paralysis ticks