Spike in tick cases prompts warning

A recent spate of hot weather following heavy rainfall has led to a rise in tick cases in the area, a local vet has warned.

“We have definitely seen an influx in cases of tick paralysis in the last three or four weeks. All of which have needed to be treated,” Ballina Veterinary Service owner Dr Emma Ryan said.

“We often see more cases when you have a period of rain followed by a burst of warm weather.

“The treatment is to give a tick antitoxin serum.”

Dr Ryan said the season usually starts around August when we get some warm days in the lead-up to spring. It peaks around September and October and lasts until April.

“We will still see cases year-round so we do advise owners to continue their tick prevention,” she said. “It’s a lot less when the humidity drops, and it’s not unusual for us to see the occasional one in June or July.”

Dr Ryan said the most common symptom of a tick is wobbliness in the back legs.

“They will look like they’re a little bit drunk,” she said.

“They can also present with difficulty jumping up or climbing stairs, or not wanting to get up or eat.

“Sometimes it can just be coughing or vomiting with no paralysis.”

In some cases, the only sign of a tick is the engorged tick itself, so Dr Ryan said pet owners should pat down their dogs and cats every day and look at the base of their pets’ ears, in their ear canals, around their lips, in between their toes, and under their collar.

“It’s especially important if they have a longer coat,” she said.

Dr Ryan said with the cost-of-living crisis, some people were struggling to keep up their tick prevention treatment, but it was important to avoid a hefty vet bill down the track.

Some pet owners also choose to give their pets a full body “tick click” at the start of the season to more easily identify them.