Dire warning for pet owners as humid weather sparks parasite explosion
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Loading... - Sophie Hoedemaker
- 25 May 2022
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Dog and cat owners are urged to be on high alert after experts warned this year’s long months of unusually humid weather could cause an explosion in the paralysis tick population, putting their furry friends at risk.
The paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is known to cause vomiting and gagging, refusal of food, difficulty breathing, and wobbliness in the hind legs of pets. If left untreated, the tick is potentially deadly to pets.
It is most active during periods of high humidity, especially after rain, the federal Department of Health states.
They are found along the east coast of Australia from Victoria up to Queensland and although tend to be specific to certain areas, experts say booming populations could see the paralysis tick spread outside its usual hotspots.
A cat named Chopin has been the victim of tick paralysis in the inner west of Sydney, leading to concern about the parasite.
“While it is rare to find them outside known hotspots in Sydney, I have personally treated dozens of tick paralysis cases while working at various clinics in Sydney,” Glebe vet Dr Emma Hall told 7NEWS.com.au.
“This is the first one I know of which hasn’t been to a known hotspot in the preceding weeks.
“Our main concern is that the past few months of rain have caused the humidity-loving paralysis tick’s geographic range to expand.
“If this is the case, patches of bushland in and around Sydney may have seen paralysis tick populations explode, with native mammals (which have some immunity to the paralysis tick toxin) serving as a disbursal vector allowing the tick to colonise areas such as the inner west, where the ticks are seldom found.” Read More...
