Tick Paralysis In Dogs - Treatment

It is caused by ticks which excrete a toxin that affects the nervous system of mammals, more specifically caused from female tick bites, and it can turn deadly if not treated.

When a tick bites, the results can be a flaccid paralysis, which ends up leaving your pooch feeling weak, with little to no muscular tone. Not all breeds of dogs will be affected by tick bites, wherein many many only experience some loss of movement in their hind limbs.

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.

Read on to find out how you effectively get rid of the affects of a tick bite.

Signs

The normal time for symptoms to being showing is anywhere from five to seven days, but keep in mind that one tick bite can take a lot longer to show, as multiple tick bites will show paralysis sooner. You may notice that your dog suddenly seems weaker and has poor coordination with his/her hind legs, which are the very first clues that your dog has been bit by a tick. Your dog may also exhibit difficulty in chewing, breathing, and swallowing, and there will also not be any signs of a fever.

Whenever you notice your dog struggle with mobility, you should always take note if any of his/her symptoms relate to the above, so that way you can get your dog treatment immediately if they are in fact infected.

Diagnosing for Paralysis

A diagnosis for your dog is most often given if your dog has a rapidly worsening condition, or if he/she is actually experiencing the common symptoms, most notably, paralysis.

Your dog will have a rapid recovery once you are able to locate the tick(s) and remove them. Of course, easy diagnosis also comes from the signs of paralysis, but you should regularly check your dog for ticks, if his/her behavior becomes strange, especially if you are often in regions which have ticks.

Treating Tick Paralysis

The cure for the problem is simple, as all you have to do is remove and and all ticks on your dog. This may be difficult if your dog often has a lot of fur, which means you may have to literally shave your dog to find the tick(s), before they cause serious damage to your dog.

Your dog may require more supportive care, such as artificial respiration, once the ticks are out, depending on how much damage was done. You may also want to consider an antitoxin to be administered to your dog, so that your dog can cure faster.

Here's a website that will talk about Tick Paralysis