OCTOBER – RUSTY
Rusty presented to the clinic one Saturday after his owner discovered he was unable to use his back legs. His owner suspected that he may have had a paralysis tick. Sure enough, during physical examination a large tick crater (distinctive red mark left behind where the paralysis tick was attached) was found on Rusty’s neck and a diagnosis of tick paralysis was made. Rusty’s owner is usually very conscientious with tick prevention for all his dogs, however this year Spring caught them a little by surprise.
Rusty was a grade 4B tick paralysis case, meaning that he could not walk at all and that his respiratory muscles were starting to be affected by the tick toxin also. He had an increased respiratory rate and his heart rate was increased in compensation. Rusty had almost no gag reflex as the muscles of his upper respiratory tract were quite severely affected.
Paralysis tick saliva contains a neurotoxin that disrupts the signal being transmitted from the nerves to the skeletal muscles (especially muscles of the limbs, between the ribs, diaphragm and upper respiratory tract). Affected animals therefore suffer a ‘flaccid’ paralysis and present with differing degrees of ataxia or ‘wobbliness of the legs’ as well as degrees of respiratory system compromise.
Rusty was placed in hospital for two days to receive the paralysis tick antiserum and fluid therapy as he was not allowed to eat or drink. This was due to the high risk that he might aspirate food or water down into his lungs (causing aspiration pneumonia) as he could not gag or swallow properly. As Rusty could not get up to go to the toilet or adjust his positioning he required constant nursing care and soft bedding. Rusty progressed well in hospital and at the end of his two-day hospital stay he was walking normally again. Even though Rusty’s improvement was rapid he tired out very easily, as the junctions between his nerves and muscles were still recovering from being affected by the tick toxin. His gag reflex was still not normal when he returned home so Rusty’s owner had to hand feed and water him from a height until he could swallow normally again.
Rusty has since been back to see all the girls at the clinic and is doing fantastically. He is still on strict rest as it will take three to four weeks for his body to be ready to be out chasing cows again.
As the weather begins to warm up the risk of our pets picking up paralysis ticks is increasing. There are many paralysis tick preventatives available and one to suit each pet’s current parasite control plan. Please chat to us about tick prevention for your pets as prevention is always better than a cure!