FYI, Fatal Tick Bite in Dogs

[charlz]

If you think its scary that your dog had it... I had tick paralysis when I was 4. Woke up mostly blind and unable to walk, pulled myself out of bed, across the floor and out in the living room where my parents found me and took me to the hospital. Happens when a pregnant female tick releases a toxin into the bloodstream. About a week later I was at the doctors for a followup and he showed me the vial they had put the tick in.... full of babies

Hopefully your dog fully recovers!

 

[Alien]

Yep, we have tick paralysis here in Oz too. When we came to the property 12+ years ago we bought Guinea fowls and they are known to control ticks around your farm.
We did have one scare though as our Maremma has a habit of wandering down the bush every day to check things out.
One day I found him lying out in the hot sun which was unusual. I tried to move him and realized he couldn't walk. I got him some water and he managed to drink it. (some can't when hit with paralysis) My wife and I moved him to some shade and found a tick under his rear leg.
We removed it and luckily we had just bought some pure Vitamin C in case the dogs got a snake bite. I poured vitamin C all around his groin and rubbed it where the tick had been. Vitamin C works well transdermally.
Anyway the dog didn't get any worse so we watched him close and within a couple of days he had improved quite a bit. It still took him a while to get over it but he recovered 100% and is still with us.
I believe that Vit C is what the vets treat them with as there is little else they can do. Our neighbours lost their dog to a tick and the vet couldn't help.
You must use absolutely pure Vit C and not the rubbish that some sell.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

Glad your pet is recovering. I've seen literature on tick paralysis in humans, but never knew it can occur in other animals. It appears that dogs are especially susceptible. In humans, all that's typically required is removing the tick and patients generally recover within a day or so. I found this online about infection in dogs and cats:

Overview of Tick Paralysis: Tick Paralysis: Merck Veterinary Manual

As far as sprays, I use Bifen I/T inside and around our home for insect control. Been using it for 2-3 years, and it works great. I've never used it specifically for tick control, but I'm sure it would do the job. You just keep people and pets out of sprayed areas until it is dry. We used to pay for a pest control service to spray every month and still had bug issues. The spray is less than 1/10th the cost and works better than when the professionals were coming out. Very easy to use.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

Glad your pet is recovering. I've seen literature on tick paralysis in humans, but never knew it can occur in other animals. It appears that dogs are especially susceptible. In humans, all that's typically required is removing the tick and patients generally recover within a day or so. I found this online about infection in dogs and cats:

Overview of Tick Paralysis: Tick Paralysis: Merck Veterinary Manual

As far as sprays, I use Bifen I/T inside and around our home for insect control. Been using it for 2-3 years, and it works great. I've never used it specifically for tick control, but I'm sure it would do the job. You just keep people and pets out of sprayed areas until it is dry. We used to pay for a pest control service to spray every month and still had bug issues. The spray is less than 1/10th the cost and works better than when the professionals were coming out. Very easy to use.

 

[blueriver]

Kinda related ... Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ... you can get it by simply removing a tick. Be sure and wash up after pulling those ticks. Better yet don't touch them ...use a needle nose pliers!

 

[SARG]

I buy these by the dozen and give them to dog owners I know. Called Tick twisters.

 

[charlz]

I buy these by the dozen and give them to dog owners I know. Called Tick twisters.

I had to look that one up, great info! Here is a link to their website which has some videos of the tool in use: Remove Ticks Easily with Tick Twister® apparently twisting the tick causes it to let go so you don't have to worry about parts remaining in the skin.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks Sarg, we have something very similar to that. Unfortunately with the really thick coats on our Akita's, it doesn't work very well. Karen is a RN and she just tears them out when she finds them and puts them in the wood stove to burn. We are going to spray the yard and hope that helps. It's just going to have to be something that we make a priority like treating for termites.

 

[nybirdman]

We have lots of ticks in the North-East.We use Advantix every month,Lyme disease shots.Permathrin(spelling) is good for spraying trucks,cars ect.I have got into the habit of spraying with Permathrin any deer ect.that we take.

 

[CalG]

Lyme disease.

Our daughter's dog got it twice. The second time while she was away at school, the dog with us. I couldn't have lived with myself if the dog had died while she was away.

Vet hemmed and hawed about X-rays and observation, I had learned from the first episode. Give the antibiotics to him! The critter was up and around the next day like nothing ever happened, but still takes a month of treatment.
Word is the virus never goes away, it's there inside, just waiting......

The dog ended up passing of bone cancer after having one hind leg removed. Great dog, a big loss. (It was a big dog!) They don't live long do they.
She has another. dumb as a sack of rocks......'-)

ps

chickens are the pure devil on ticks!