Tick Prevention for Cats

PARALYSIS TICK PREVENTION

We live in an area where paralysis ticks are prevalent, especially in certain regions of the coast such as bushland and hinterland areas. Tick paralysis is a potentially life-threatening event and one of the most common preventable causes of death in dogs and cats along the east coast of Australia.

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The ‘tick season’ usually begins sometime in August here on the coast and runs through to April most years. This is the time of year when ticks are more prevalent and active, but depending on the climate we sometimes see cases of tick paralysis through the cooler months as well.

WHAT CAUSES TICK PARALYSIS?

Tick paralysis is caused by the Ixodes holocyclus tick which attaches to mammalian hosts and while feeding on their blood secretes a toxin into the bloodstream which causes the paralysis.

The paralysis ticks live on native Australian marsupials such as bandicoots, macropods and possums, and these animals have developed immunity to the toxin. Our domestic pets however have not and so if a tick attaches and remains attached for long enough (usually more than 48 hours is required) paralysis will occur. Ticks attach by climbing to the top of grasses or vegetation and waiting for an animal to pass by to grab onto – they cannot fly or jump.

SIGNS OF TICK PARALYSIS

The tick toxin interferes with nerve and muscle communication. Often the first sign in dogs is a change in the sound of their bark, and regurgitation of food and drink. Their gait then becomes wobbly and within a short period of time they are completely paralysed and unable to walk at all or even sit themselves up.

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Cats usually present with different symptoms including agitation, a funny breathing pattern, and an audible grunt at the end of their expiration breath. Weakness is usually less obvious in the early stages.

Within a short period of time the respiratory muscles of affected animals become paralysed and this is the usual cause of death. Cases with advanced respiratory symptoms are the most difficult to treat.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND REMOVE A PARALYSIS TICK

Paralysis ticks have a silvery grey body and legs close to their mouthparts. There is one pair of brown legs closest to the mouth, then two pairs of white legs, then another pair of brown legs. As they feed they enlarge and the body can appear quite dark in colour.

If you find a tick on your pet, it is important to remove it immediately. There is lots of conflicting information about the best way to remove a tick, and whether it should be killed first, but in our experience it is best to detach the tick as quickly as possible by slipping a fingernail or tick detacher underneath the mouth parts and pulling rapidly backward with a quick twist.

TREATING TICK PARALYSIS

Treatment of tick paralysis when affected pets are admitted in the early stages is usually straight forward, and most healthy animals recover if they are brought in early enough. Problems can develop making treatment more complicated however if your pet is in their senior years, or has pre-existing disease of the heart or lungs, or is severely paralysed when treated. Sequelae such as aspiration pneumonia or heart failure can develop in severely affected pets, and all pets should have their exercise reduced for a period of three months following tick paralysis.

HOW TO PREVENT TICK PARALYSIS

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When it comes to tick prevention there are many options available, however most of them are chemicals which are not always tolerated well by every pet. When deciding on tick prevention it is important to take into account the following:

• the length of your pet’s coat, as long-haired pets are more difficult to check for ticks
• whether you can perform an effective tick search on a daily basis
• your geographical location, as certain regions have a higher risk of tick populations being present
• the areas where your cat roams, as bushy areas with long grass carry a higher tick risk

Chemical preventative options for cats include:

• Tick collars such as the Seresto collar by Bayer which must be replaced every 4 months for tick prevention (but lasts twice this long for fleas). Note that the Seresto collar is registered as a tick preventative product for use in dogs but is not registered for paralysis tick prevention in cats in Australia and so this is an off-label use.
• Frontline or Frontera spray every three weeks.

One benefit of a tick collar is that if your pet has a reaction to the product you can remove it.

Frontline spray has been around for many years now and has an excellent safety profile – the fact that it is registered for use in puppies only a few days old demonstrates how safe it is compared to other products.

There may be a cumulative effect from the use of any chemical, meaning you may not see a reaction the first time, but a few months or years later you could.

NATURAL PREVENTATIVES

If you have a pet whose health is compromised and you want to avoid using chemical products natural alternatives are worth considering. Options include:

• Daily EFFECTIVE tick searches are your best prevention.
• Keeping your cat’s coat clipped short during tick season, enabling more effective tick searches.
• Keeping your cat indoors.
• Homeopathic protection to stimulate the animal’s immune system and build resistance to the tick toxin. Ticks may still attach, and they won’t die, but your animal will likely scratch at the site of attachment making it more likely that you will find the tick. Animals that get tick paralysis when using homeopathic tick preventatives recover more quickly and are less likely to be severely affected by the tick toxin.

Please contact our nursing team if you would like to discuss chemical-free solutions for your pet.

Nothing carries a 100% guarantee when it comes to tick prevention, so please choose preventative options that best suit your cat, your lifestyle, and your location. Tick paralysis is preventable when effective tick preventative methods are in place.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor