Dangerous signs of Tick Paralysis for dogs
The disease does not affect the ticks but affects other mammals like dogs due to the toxin secreted by the ticks. This toxin is released into the blood stream of the dog when the tick bites causing muscular weakness.
It can vary depending on what kind of dog you have, as not all dogs or mammals are affected by ticks, and even some animals only have their hind limbs affected. Since the side effects can vary, some mammals can easily fall into a critical state as their muscles become unable to move, especially their respiratory muscles, therefore making it difficult for the animal to breathe.
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.
This article will help you protect your pooch from any dangerous situation caused due to ticks.
Symptoms 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.
Your pet dog may also show difficulty in breathing, chewing or even swallowing, though he may not have any fever or other symptoms. It is very important for you to recognise these signs immediately as otherwise there can be respiratory failure leading to death of your pooch.
Diagnosis
Paralysis is normally diagnosed depending on the symptoms and the condition of the dog at that time. 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.
Though it may be easy to find out if your pet is paralytic from the way he behaves, it is important for you to constantly check for any ticks to play safe.
Treatments
The most practical way is to remove all the ticks.
Picking up all the ticks on the pet’s body may be fraught with difficulty especially if your pet is very hairy and in that case you may need to shave your pet to ensure all ticks are effectively removed.
Generally, the dog will recover quickly once the ticks are removed, but in some cases, you may have to consult the veterinarian.
You may also want to consider an antitoxin to be administered to your dog, so that your dog can cure faster.
