Tick Paralysis in Pets
A small dog presented a big mystery to its owner and the veterinarians at Pipestone Veterinary Services in Ottumwa.
Dottie, a rat terrier mix, was adopted by Derek Bedford when she came to his farm as a stray puppy. She had always been an active dog with a lot of energy who enjoyed being outside. One afternoon when Dottie was about a year and a half old, Derek noticed that she had less energy than normal. She had seemed fine in the morning, but by early afternoon, she was lying next to the house.
"It was unusual for her to stay in one place like that," he said. "When I called her, she had trouble standing up and couldn't get her balance. At first I thought her legs were asleep, but it didn't go away." He called Pipestone Veterinary Services and brought Dottie in.
"When Dottie came in, she was having trouble walking and was stumbling. She was also licking her lips and hypersalivating," said Dr. Meredith Johns, veterinarian at the Ottumwa clinic. She completed an examination, but didn't find an obvious diagnosis.
Derek said there had been a crop duster airplane treating crops in the area recently, so Dr. Johns started treating her for potential chemical exposure as well as conducting other tests. She was treated with activated charcoal and IV fluids, but didn't show any improvement, so the clinic staff and Derek kept asking questions and looking for other clues.
While Dr. Johns was giving Dottie a bath to remove potential chemical toxins when she found a small tick on the dog's neck. Dr. Johns began comparing Dottie's symptoms to potential illnesses that could be caused by ticks.
Ticks are known to act as carriers of various diseases in animals, with Lyme disease being the most well-known. Another rarer tick-borne disease is Tick paralysis, where a potent toxin is released through the saliva of certain species of female ticks. The toxin is injected into the blood of the dog and affects the nervous system, leading to symptoms like the ones that Dottie was showing.
"I had never seen a case of Tick paralysis, but the symptoms were consistent," said Dr. Johns. "As the paralysis symptoms continue to worsen, the respiratory system can be affected and the dog will have difficulty breathing."
Treatment for Tick paralysis is simply to remove the tick and provide supportive care for the symptoms, such as a ventilator if the animal is having trouble breathing because the diaphram (a muscle) has been affected. In Dottie's case, the tick was removed and she was monitored closely. She began to show signs of improvement within hours.
"There is no test that can confirm Tick paralysis disease, so we'll never know 100 percent that is what Dottie had. However, all of the other bloodwork and tests came back negative," said Dr. Johns. Dottie will be tested for exposure to Lyme disease and other tick diseases in a couple of months as part of her routine annual screening at the clinic. Derek said that Dottie continued to get a little better every day. After four or five days, her symptoms flared up again, but she has recovered completely since then.
Dottie has returned to the clinic for a few rechecks, and Dr. Johns has been impressed with her recovery, noting that it can take several weeks for dogs to return to normal health after being treated for Tick paralysis.
Dottie's recovery was also helped because the disease was treated early..."Derek did the right thing in calling the clinic right away when he saw Dottie's symptoms," said Dr. Johns. "We caught this case early before the paralysis affected her respiratory system and could cause lasting damage."
Dottie's case is also a good reminder for all dog owners to use tick prevention products with their pets.
"There are products available that can provide effective protection against fleas and ticks", said Dr. Johns. In addition to topical products that have been available for a number of years, the Nexgard chewable tablet is a new option that is showing good results. The chewable tablets ensure that the medicine is distributed through the bloodstream and is effective more quickly than the topical products.
"We recommend that prevention products are used once a month all year round," said Dr. Johns. "We find ticks on animals even during the winter months."
A small dog presented a big mystery to its owner and the veterinarians at Pipestone Veterinary Services in Ottumwa.
Dottie, a rat terrier mix, was adopted by Derek Bedford when she came to his farm as a stray puppy. She had always been an active dog with a lot of energy who enjoyed being outside. One afternoon when Dottie was about a year and a half old, Derek noticed that she had less energy than normal. She had seemed fine in the morning, but by early afternoon, she was lying next to the house.
"It was unusual for her to stay in one place like that," he said. "When I called her, she had trouble standing up and couldn't get her balance. At first I thought her legs were asleep, but it didn't go away." He called Pipestone Veterinary Services and brought Dottie in.
"When Dottie came in, she was having trouble walking and was stumbling. She was also licking her lips and hypersalivating," said Dr. Meredith Johns, veterinarian at the Ottumwa clinic. She completed an examination, but didn't find an obvious diagnosis.
Derek said there had been a crop duster airplane treating crops in the area recently, so Dr. Johns started treating her for potential chemical exposure as well as conducting other tests. She was treated with activated charcoal and IV fluids, but didn't show any improvement, so the clinic staff and Derek kept asking questions and looking for other clues.
While Dr. Johns was giving Dottie a bath to remove potential chemical toxins when she found a small tick on the dog's neck. Dr. Johns began comparing Dottie's symptoms to potential illnesses that could be caused by ticks.
Ticks are known to act as carriers of various diseases in animals, with Lyme disease being the most well-known. Another rarer tick-borne disease is Tick paralysis, where a potent toxin is released through the saliva of certain species of female ticks. The toxin is injected into the blood of the dog and affects the nervous system, leading to symptoms like the ones that Dottie was showing.
"I had never seen a case of Tick paralysis, but the symptoms were consistent," said Dr. Johns. "As the paralysis symptoms continue to worsen, the respiratory system can be affected and the dog will have difficulty breathing."
Treatment for Tick paralysis is simply to remove the tick and provide supportive care for the symptoms, such as a ventilator if the animal is having trouble breathing because the diaphram (a muscle) has been affected. In Dottie's case, the tick was removed and she was monitored closely. She began to show signs of improvement within hours.
"There is no test that can confirm Tick paralysis disease, so we'll never know 100 percent that is what Dottie had. However, all of the other bloodwork and tests came back negative," said Dr. Johns. Dottie will be tested for exposure to Lyme disease and other tick diseases in a couple of months as part of her routine annual screening at the clinic. Derek said that Dottie continued to get a little better every day. After four or five days, her symptoms flared up again, but she has recovered completely since then.
Dottie has returned to the clinic for a few rechecks, and Dr. Johns has been impressed with her recovery, noting that it can take several weeks for dogs to return to normal health after being treated for Tick paralysis.
Dottie's recovery was also helped because the disease was treated early..."Derek did the right thing in calling the clinic right away when he saw Dottie's symptoms," said Dr. Johns. "We caught this case early before the paralysis affected her respiratory system and could cause lasting damage."
Dottie's case is also a good reminder for all dog owners to use tick prevention products with their pets.
"There are products available that can provide effective protection against fleas and ticks", said Dr. Johns. In addition to topical products that have been available for a number of years, the Nexgard chewable tablet is a new option that is showing good results. The chewable tablets ensure that the medicine is distributed through the bloodstream and is effective more quickly than the topical products.
"We recommend that prevention products are used once a month all year round," said Dr. Johns. "We find ticks on animals even during the winter months."
