Lyme disease

Tick paralysis

Removing Ticks

Tick control

Ticks

Ask not for whom the tick waits

Ticks don't die easily and and as far as we can tell, they never get bored   A tick can sit on the end of a twig for months, patiently waiting for you or your dog to pass by.  If no suitable host comes along before freezing weather, the tick crawls away to shelter and comes back again in the spring.  Now that we have Lyme disease to worry about, ticks are more than just a repulsive annoyance.  

Lyme disease

The Lyme Disease organism normally lives in mice. Ticks bite infected mice and later transmit the disease to other animals, including people and dogs. In our area, whenever we see a dog with unexplained lameness we must consider Lyme Disease as a possible cause, particularly if the dog has a fever and one or more joints are swollen and tender. Left untreated, Lyme disease can play havoc with the immune system, causing a severe form of arthritis and occasionally kidney, heart or neurological problems

Tick paralysis

Tick paralysis happens mostly in the springtime. It is caused by tick bites, especially near the neck or shoulders. Paralysis begins in your dog's hind legs. When you first notice it, s/he may be wobbly in the rear end or completely unable to walk.  Strangely, the front legs work fine at this stage. The dog is bright, alert and not in pain. Later, dogs also lose the use of their front legs and can even become unconscious and die from respiratory paralysis..

If you notice early stages of tick paralysis (partial loss of hindquarter function without pain; engorged ticks present), go carefully over your entire dog, removing every single tick. Signs of recovery should begin within three or four hours. If paralysis is more advanced or signs of pain are present, we need to perform a neurological examination - the problem may be something else entirely, or supportive care may be needed. Also, with the advantage of an examination table and good lighting, we will probably find more ticks.