In the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of DogsLIFE Magazine we looked at Dr Harry's 'Top 5 Summer Nasties'.  Whether you are a new or an experienced pet owner this story is a great reminder to never underestimate bitey, crawly and downright dangerous creatures such as ticks, fleas, spiders and snakes.  They can make life miserable for all concerned – even kill or disable our pets. This great listener story below is a timely reminder for pet owners in tick-specific areas to be ever vigilant – no matter what time of year!

Darcy's Story – a near fatal tick poisoning
By Stephanie Betts

Darcy is a plucky little cocker spaniel who has undergone many hardships during his short life.
His most recent brush with death saw him hospitalised for twelve days with tick paralysis.

People say that some owners are so in tune with their dogs that they know when they are even a little bit off-colour. The day prior to Darcy becoming paralysed I knew something was amiss. He went and hid in a tunnel during a mock agility trial – something which he never does. He also refused to eat his dinner (not an overly odd occurrence for Darcy, but that's another story!) and seemed to be favouring his rear left leg – similar to getting a burr in his foot. My friend at the dog park and I spent a good fifteen minutes going over every inch of Darcy that afternoon and we couldn't find anything.

By the following morning Darcy had become completely paralysed. As is often the case with animal emergencies this happened on a Sunday morning before any vet clinics were open. Luckily I have my vet's mobile number on hand for such emergencies. The clinic is 20 minutes away and my vet Dr Peter McKenzie-Wood arranged to meet me there on his day off. By the time we arrived at the clinic Darcy had begun to vomit up large amounts of foam. We quickly got him into the surgery and Peter, the vet nurse and I set about trying to find where the tick was on his body. Eventually the vet nurse found it, it was on the top of his ear and she said it felt like a knot of hair. Peter started to administer the tick serum and we left Darcy in his care. Later Darcy was completely shaved to ensure there were no other ticks on his body.

Darcy was so dangerously ill that he was moved to an emergency clinic as he required 24 hour care. He was having difficulty breathing, so was placed on oxygen therapy and remained at the emergency clinic for five days – until he no longer required oxygen.

Darcy was a very sick little dog and it was more than a week before I truly believed that I wasn't going to lose him. His life hung perilously for the first few days, with an improvement giving me hope, then a sudden setback making me despair that I would ever bring him home. His status changed so much it was hard for anyone to know if he would survive. It was a relief to get him transferred back to my vet, but the location of the tick meant that Darcy's gag reflex had been affected. His constant gagging meant that a lot of his stomach fluid ended up in his lungs, resulting in aspiration pneumonia which was a huge set back. He was placed on a drip to administer the wide variety of antibiotics needed to treat his lung infection.

Only once he had stopped gagging did the vets reintroduce water, and then eventually food. After twelve days, when he was back on food, Darcy was allowed to return home to us as his antibiotics could be administered orally. However he did have to return to the vet the following day to drain an abscess which had been caused by his drip.

Darcy continued on his medication and had x-rays weekly to monitor his lung infection. He ceased the medication two weeks after his first clear chest x-ray. The support given to me by Peter and his new graduate vet Dr Kevin Foster as well as the vet nurse team at Willoughby Vet Clinic was invaluable. They took such great care of Darcy and without their dedication Darcy would not be here today.

Rehabilitation after tick poisoning is very important. It's important not to rush things exercise-wise with dogs that have been affected by ticks. I started with short ten minute walks with Darcy, slowly building up over time. We didn't go back to agility training for two months, and even then, kept things very minimal. I am especially vigilant with tick checking now and make sure both my dogs are treated with Advantix spot-on fortnightly and are wearing tick collars.

How does a tick cause paralysis?
When the tick is attached it sucks blood from the animal, and in the process secretes saliva which contains toxins. The toxins are absorbed by the animal's body, causing paralysis.

Signs of tick paralysis:
Loss of or poor coordination in the hind legs
Vomiting, retching or coughing
Change in bark
No appetite
Difficulty breathing

The paralysis eventually extends to the front legs and if left untreated the animal eventually is unable to breathe and dies.

What to do:
This is a medical emergency!!
Keep your pet in a cool, dark place until you take it to the vet.
Do NOT offer food or water.

See your vet as soon as possible!

Photos top left and right: Darcy before the tick poisoning - (c) Steph Betts
Bottom left and right: A very thin Darcy after the tick poisoning - (c) Steph Betts