Vets are warning pet owners to prepare their furry friends for a high pressure tick and flea season, following a wetter than average winter and warmer temperatures heading into spring.
According to Dr Peter Holdsworth from the Animal Health Alliance (the Alliance), the biggest concern is paralysis ticks, with the tick season starting incredibly early in some parts of the country this year.
“A lot of coastal areas in Queensland and NSW have experienced high rainfall over winter and conditions are now warming up and becoming more humid, with summer on the way. This creates a perfect breeding environment for paralysis ticks,” he said.
“In a veterinary practice in Cairns, 25 cases of paralysis tick were treated in August alone. That’s an indicator we are going to see high tick numbers in companion animals over the coming months and pet owners need to be prepared.”
The paralysis tick lives on native animals in the coastal areas of eastern Australia and it regularly attaches to domestic animals such as dogs and cats. The tick season starts to peak in spring and lasts through to autumn.
“My advice to pet owners living in tick-prone areas is to protect pets early this year. Tick paralysis can be fatal and we don’t want to see pet owners caught out when there are early prevention treatments available,” Dr Holdsworth said.
“There are a number of different products to use, including tick collars and spot-on treatments. However, monitoring your pets is the best weapon of defence against paralysis ticks. Pet owners should search their pets daily in tick-prone regions.
“If you notice symptoms, including choking and loss of coordination in the hind legs, it’s important to take immediate action and see a vet for treatment,” he said.
While paralysis ticks are the most dangerous external parasite, fleas are the most common and are expected to be a major cause of irritation for companion animals this spring and summer.
“Dogs and cats are valued companions and it’s terrible to see them struggling with fleas. In addition to the scratching, chewing and biting, if left untreated, fleas can cause flea allergy dermatitis (FAD),” Dr Holdsworth said.
“FAD occurs in some animals when the immune system overreacts to a flea bite, causing the animal to scratch excessively, which can lead to skin abrasions, infections and fur loss.
“There are some wonderful new technologies available for treating fleas, including spot-on formulations or oral tablets which have a far better safety margin for pets and owners than outdated flea powders or washes,” he said.
Your local vet can give further advice on effective tick prevention products and ways to treat fleas and remove ticks.
