Dog Training

Dangerous signs of Tick Paralysis in dogs

The ticks produce a poisonous substance that affects mammals like dogs and causes paralysis and in that sense, it is not the ticks that are affected but the dogs. This toxin is released into the blood stream of the dog when the tick bites causing muscular weakness.

It is not as if all dogs or mammals are affected by this toxin from ticks, only some dogs are actually affected and some only suffer from paralysis of their hind limbs. Due to the variation in the kind of effect the toxin produces, certain mammals will suffer from total paralysis and may even die due to difficulty in breathing.

By knowing about the different kind of paralysis that is caused by the ticks in different mammals, you can prevent things from becoming worse by quickly taking out the ticks and casting them away.

You will find valuable information that will enable you to identify and prevent any untoward problems to your pet due to ticks.

Signs of Tick Paralysis

It is not as if your dog will be immediately affected with just one bite of the tick as it takes a period of a week and several bites from the ticks to cause any paralysis. When you notice your pet becoming weak and having problems moving his hind limbs, you can be sure that he has been bitten by ticks.

Other signs are when the pet experiences problems to chew, swallow or even breathe though there may not be other symptoms like fever or shivering exhibited by your pet. Since death can occur within hours from respiratory failure, because of the muscle paralysis caused, it is absolutely critical that you check for these signs.

Analysis

Most often, paralysis is diagnosed based on the symptoms, and also if your dog has a rapidly worsening condition. Though the incidence of paralysis is also dependent on specific seasons, the good news is that the moment the ticks are picked up and thrown away out of the pet’s body, your pet will show a quick recovery.

Constantly checking whether your pet has any ticks on specific regions of the body is a good way of being careful, even though you may feel that you will be able to detect any symptoms of paralysis from his behavior.

Cures

One effective method of treatment is to pick all the ticks from the body and throw them away.

It may be difficult for you to identify all the ticks especially if they are hidden in the thick fur of your pet’s body and you may have to totally shave your pet to get at them..

Generally, the dog will recover quickly once the ticks are removed, but in some cases, you may have to consult the veterinarian.

The injection of an antitoxin is another remedy for quick recovery.