Pet owners in Shepparton are being urged to be on the lookout for ticks after a dog was bitten by a paralysis tick and died.
Dr Fiona Cameron at Kialla Veterinary Clinic attended to the dog on Friday, December 8.
The dog was brought in for treatment after it became unable to walk and was drooling from the mouth.
The main problem, Dr Cameron said, was nobody was sure how the tick ended up on the dog.
“We don’t have paralysis ticks in Shepparton,” she said.
Paralysis ticks are usually found only on the east coast of Australia and not normally this far inland in Victoria.
“We keep the anti-serum here because we get one case every year or two,” Dr Cameron said.
“And those cases are from people who have taken their pets to Lakes Entrance, Seaspray or anywhere up the east coast.
“They come back from their holiday, and they find a tick, with very few having mild symptoms.
“But we have this dog who has not been on the coast; the owner hasn’t travelled at all.”
The mystery tick is a cause for concern, with Dr Cameron recommending pet owners use preventative treatments to keep their dogs and cats safe.
“You can go through your pet’s fur with your fingers and feel for any lump,” she said.
“Any lump or bump you spread the hair, and you look for a tick.”
If you do find a tick on your pet, it is best to remove it straight away.
“Get a pair of scissors, spread the scissors and just slide it up the tick, and it will just come up,” Dr Cameron said.
“You don’t want to squeeze them because they can inject more of the venom.
Once the tick has been safely removed, keep it in a jar and take it to your local vet so they can formally identify it and ensure your pet is safe.
“For most paralysis ticks, 90 per cent of them are found in front of the shoulders,” Dr Cameron said.
“So, that’s where you want to check; come straight round the head, behind the ears, under the chin and on the neck.”
She recommends preventative treatments that last for six months at a time, can be found at pet stores and vets, and only need to be applied during the warmer months.
“I’m going to be recommending to my clients they put the preventative treatment on in October when it’s warming up, and that will last the whole summer,” Dr Cameron said.
“If the dog had been on this treatment, they wouldn’t have gotten a tick.
“We’re just waiting to see if any others appear, but it’s better to do the prevention so we don’t see any more.”