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1. Recognise the signs and seek early treatment
2. Keep your dog's coat short if possible
3. Avoid high risk areas
4. Search daily for ticks
5. Acaricidal chemicals
6. Vaccination
7. Special instructions if you are visiting a tick area
1. Recognise the signs of tick paralysis and seek early treatment. Treatment is much less expensive and more successful if given early.
2. Keep your dog's coat short if possible.
(Not all
breeds are suitable for clipping. If in doubt ask for advice.)
Long-haired dogs (eg Maltese, Silky terriers) are very
susceptible to tick paralysis as it is hard to find a tick on them,
especially if the coat is knotty and matted. Unless the dog is
indoors at all times, try to keep the coat clipped to about 2-3 cm
long.
3. Avoid high risk areas.
If you allow your dog or cat to wander or run through the scrub or bush during the tick season he is more likely to pick up a tick.
4. SEARCH DAILY for ticks
or at least every second day.
Go over or through the coat carefully, especially the head and neck
areas. Remove any ticks you find. If you find a Paralysis Tick
observe the pet carefully for 24 hrs, and if any signs of paralysis
develop, contact your veterinarian. (Paralysis can still develop
even if the tick has been removed.)
No chemical should be relied on to be 100% effective in preventing tick paralysis. Some insecticides/acaricides are dangerous especially to cats, puppies. or to any animal which is old or unwell.
In our practice we have found the following products useful as
part of a tick control strategy:
Note that in all cases the manufacturer's recommendations for use
of the product shoud be read and followed.
Proban (Cythioate) tablets or liquid, given
orally - Boehringer Ingelheim
Frontline Spray - Merial
Frontline TopSpot - Merial
Preventic Collar - Virbac
Kiltix Collar - Bayer
Permoxin rinse or spray - Dermcare Vet
Some organo-phosphate rinses
(Nucidol, Asuntol).
Proban (Cythioate) (Boehringrer-Ingelheim)
Cythioate is an orally administered organo-phosphate. Supplied as 30 mg tablets, or 15mg/ml liquid.
Recommended dose for tick prevention in dogs is one
tablet or 2 mls liquid(30mg), per 10 kg weight given orally every
second day.
In cats the dose is one quarter tablet or 0.5 ml liquid
(7.5 mg) per 5 kg every second day.
The animal must be accurately weighed before starting treatment.
Proban should not be given to any animal which is sick, pregnant,
lactating, recovering from surgery, under 4 months old, or being
treated with any other organo-phosphate insecticide.
Cythioate is absorbed from the gut and finds its way into the bloodstream, to be taken in by ticks as they suck blood. The chemical is toxic to the tick which will die and drop off.
Animals with reduced liver function may be adversely affected by cythioate medication. If in doubt liver function or enzyme tests can be performed. Long term medication has been shown to increase liver enzyme levels, but these usually return to normal following cessation of medication.
Cythioate given at the tick control dose rate and frequency will also control fleas. If control is aimed at fleas alone (not ticks) the frequency of medication can be reduced to every three days or twice weekly.
Contains Fipronyl. Controls Ixodes holocyclus for up to 3 weeks after application. Daily searching for ticks is recommended. Safe to use on cats, on kittens from 7 weeks of age, and on puppies from 2 days of age. Applied for tick control at the rate of 6 ml per kg in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.
Also gives excellent flea control for up to 12 weeks on dogs and 8 weeks on cats.
Frontline TopSpot Dog is claimed to kill attached ticks as soon as they are contacted by the insecticide, which should occur within 24 hours of application. The acaricidal effect is claimed to last for two weeks.
Frontline TopSpot Cat does not carry any claim against Ixodes, but seems worthy of trying on cats affected by or subject to tick infestation.
Preventic and Kiltix are the only collars we have found useful in tick prevention. Other brands advertised as "Tick & Flea Control Collars" are not reliably effective against Ixodes holocyclus. Preventic is not very effective against fleas.
The collar acts by distributing a chemical (Amitraz) through the coat, thus preventing the tick from attaching to the skin. If a tick is already attached when you apply the collar the tick may survive and still cause paralysis. If a dog gets wet or goes swimming while wearing the collar the Amitraz will be removed from the coat (but not the collar) and will take about a day to spread back through the coat from the collar. If ticks attach during this 24 hr period they may survive and cause paralysis.
Do not use on cats, or on puppies under 3 months, or on sick or convalescing animals. Do not use at the same time as you are treating your dog with any other insecticide, except as advised by your veterinarian. If you need to use another chemical to control a concurrent flea problem ask your veterinarian for advice.
The collar should be replaced every 2 months during the season when ticks are prevalent.
Aids in control of Paralysis Ticks for 6 weeks. Will control fleas and other ticks (not Ixodes) for up to 5 months.
Do not use on cats, or on puppies under 3 months, or on sick or convalescing animals. Do not use at the same time as you are treating your dog with any other insecticide, except as advised by your veterinarian. If you need to use another chemical to control a concurrent flea problem ask your veterinarian for advice.
The Rinse Concentrate contains 40g/L Permethrin 25:75 (cis:trans), and must be diluted before application at the rate of 10 ml of Concentrate to 400 ml of water. Rinse through the coat (or spray on to thoroughly wet the coat) once weekly during the tick season.
NUCIDOL DOG WASH (Diazinon 200 g/L) is mixed in water at the rate of 10 ml per 4 litres of water. Wash the dog, thoroughly saturating the coat with the diluted wash. Do not use soap before or after applying Nucidol. Do not rinse out of the coat. Reapply weekly. Carefuly detach any engorged adult adult ticks by hand. Follow all the manufacturers recommendations. Do not allow the chemical to contaminate streams, rivers, or waterways.
Native animals which are the natural hosts of Ixodes holocyclus appear to have a natural immunity to the harmful effects of the tick toxin, and can carry large numbers of ticks without ill effect.
Dogs and cats which live in areas where they regularly pick up ticks will also tend to develop their own immunity. This depends on them getting small doses of tick toxin initially, not enough to cause severe illness, but enough to start the production of antibodies by the animal's immune system. As they pick up more ticks and are injected by gradually increasing doses of toxin this immunity can become quite strong.
Unfortunately this immunity is not long lasting and can be lost from one season to the next if there are no ticks on the animal in the time between. A previously immune dog can therefore suddenly become affected by tick paralysis. Owners should be aware of this risk.
6. VACCINATION AGAINST TICK PARALYSIS
At present no vaccine against Ixodes tick toxin is commercially available, but researchers at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) have produced a tick toxin vaccine, which is still in the experimental phase of development.
Associate Professor Kevin Broady hopes that the vaccine will make full immunisation against tick paralysis possible. The vaccine is not yet commercially available.
7. If you are visiting a tick area
with your dog from
somewhere where ticks are not a problem, please note the
following:
(1) Your pet will have no immunity to Tick Paralysis. Be very
careful if he goes walking in any grass or bush.
(2) If your pet picks up a tick (eg while on holidays) the signs
may not be apparent for for a week or more. For this reason you
should continue your daily search for ticks, and use a recommended
insecticide for at least one week after you leave any tick area.