Paralysis Tick Geography:

[sandgrubber]

I'm considering a return from the US to Oz. One thing I want to avoid is paralysis tick. I came across this map . . . wonder if it is accurate? Seems to rule out most of the east coast.

http://www.animaloptions.com.au/images/graphics/tick-distribution-map.gif

[Scarlet]

Looks pretty good to my knowledge but I didn't realise that Tassie had them.

There are some pretty good tick preventive products on the market - expensive but I have found them really good. I use Advantix fortnightly in summer and monthly in winter.

I also do physical checks (the dogs love this!) but with long haired dogs it isn't really easy or effective for me

[Tim'sMum]

Paralysis ticks are certainly the worst in eastern coastal areas, and roughly in an area 20km from the coastline. Also in areas with a high density of bandicoots, which are their main host.

Where we are, on Sydney's Nthn Beaches, it's 'tick central' unfortunately.

I have used Advantix but also Preventic collars. Neither dog has had a tick (touch wood) while wearing the Preventic collar. You also need to check dogs daily.

Thousands of dogs live very long lives in areas with high paralysis tick populations...so perhaps, if you use preventatives, you shouldn't let it influence your decision about where to live?

[dianed]

Considering most of the population live on or near the east coast, that means alot of dogs also live in this strip.I can,t see what the problem is, it becomes a routine that you just check your animals daily during tick season.

As Scarlet said they love being handled and checked. I,m more frightened of snakes to tell you the truth!

[hilaryo]

While we are on the subject :D

As some of you might know, we had a beagle escape and go missing for nearly 3 days in dense rainforesty sort of bush.

Cindy was gone from around 6am Friday until Sunday afternoon.

She returned with many paralysis ticks on her which were removed straight away. The vet founds some more and then we still found more later that night. She has a tick wash and then a leave in spray to make sure any were dead that were still on her.

The vets wanted to give her the tick treatment but I didn't want to unless I could see some sort of early symptoms as I had been informed dogs can have a reaction to the treatment. She has been watching her like a hawk for the 3 days since but has been fine luckily.

Just wondering if there are different sub species of this tick which could be the reason for her being OK despite having so many ticks on her

Edited November 23, 2011 by hilaryo

[Chezy]

yes the common brown tick is prolific , I imagine though that your vet would know the dif between the 2

[hilaryo]

yes the common brown tick is prolific , I imagine though that your vet would know the dif between the 2

Actually these were paralysis ticks - the silvery greyish sort of ones.

[Clyde]

I have groomed dogs which regularly had p ticks with no reaction. Some dogs appear more sensitive to them than others.

We have ticks here in the Highlands where there is no coast and freezing temperatures.

Thankfully my immediate area doesn't have them as I moved here to be tick free, but 10 minutes either side of me has them so I believe it is only a matter of time until they reach here.

[dianed]

Its well known not all dogs react the same to ticks, some go down quicker than others from my experience.

Im not sure about animals building up an immunity to them either.

A few years ago the brown/grass tick was very bad here and made a few of our cattle very weak. They literally had hundreds on them, we had use a spray and then not all dropped off.

I recently heard of a dog in Queanbeyan who had a tick and was treated by the vet.

Hilaryo, couldnt you have treated the dog straight away with Advantix and then monitored her. The ticks die very quickly I have found even though they stay attached in some cases.

[meluchja]

My boy had a paralysis tick during winter. We returned home from NZ to find it on him. And from the crater and size of the tick look like it had been on for at least 7 days. (i'm still not sure how my mum could have missed it but anyway).

But he was fine, didn't show any syptoms at all. The emergency vet said to watch him like a hawk for the next 72 hours but as long as he doesn't show any early signs, that there would be no need to give him the treatment. He went off his food for this period and was a little more quiter than normal, but otherwise he was fine.

While we are on the subject :D

As some of you might know, we had a beagle escape and go missing for nearly 3 days in dense rainforesty sort of bush.

Cindy was gone from around 6am Friday until Sunday afternoon.

She returned with many paralysis ticks on her which were removed straight away. The vet founds some more and then we still found more later that night. She has a tick wash and then a leave in spray to make sure any were dead that were still on her.

The vets wanted to give her the tick treatment but I didn't want to unless I could see some sort of early symptoms as I had been informed dogs can have a reaction to the treatment. She has been watching her like a hawk for the 3 days since but has been fine luckily.

Just wondering if there are different sub species of this tick which could be the reason for her being OK despite having so many ticks on her

[westiemum]

The map looks pretty accurate to me - I had a cat with a paralysis tick who nearly died while I was living in Coffs Harbour in the mid 1990's. Scarey stuff.

One of the great things about living in SA is no paralysis tick - thank goodness

Good luck with your decision.

[dancinbcs]

I have groomed dogs which regularly had p ticks with no reaction. Some dogs appear more sensitive to them than others.

We have ticks here in the Highlands where there is no coast and freezing temperatures.

Thankfully my immediate area doesn't have them as I moved here to be tick free, but 10 minutes either side of me has them so I believe it is only a matter of time until they reach here.

Which regions in the Sthn Highlands have them?

Sydney's south western suburbs are basically tick free and I have never know of anyone to encounter them south (unless you get closer to the coast) or west of here either. Our very busy vets have lots of snake bites to treat but never have tick poisonings unless the dogs have been out of the area or have come in contact with dogs from tick areas. Ticks need humidity to survive so the dryer south western suburbs and inland don't get them unless someone brings them in from a tick area.

[hilaryo]

Hilaryo, couldnt you have treated the dog straight away with Advantix and then monitored her. The ticks die very quickly I have found even though they stay attached in some cases.

I don't know why the emergency vet didn't treat her then either (my daughter took her). He just pulled off ticks and said to watch her. I had to take this beagle girl back home with me that same day. Wasn't until that night that I realised there was still ticks on her - she was checked from head to toe by 3 people and 3 more were removed. There were none on her we went over her again and again.

Next morning there was the around 10 small dark brown ones that I didn't realise were paralysis ticks before they have filled up. Anyway I took her straight to my local vet and had her treated to kill anthing on her. I guess she was sleeping in bush so they had plenty of time to get onto her in various stages of their life cycle or something.

[Clyde]

I have groomed dogs which regularly had p ticks with no reaction. Some dogs appear more sensitive to them than others.

We have ticks here in the Highlands where there is no coast and freezing temperatures.

Thankfully my immediate area doesn't have them as I moved here to be tick free, but 10 minutes either side of me has them so I believe it is only a matter of time until they reach here.

Which regions in the Sthn Highlands have them?

Sydney's south western suburbs are basically tick free and I have never know of anyone to encounter them south (unless you get closer to the coast) or west of here either. .

Wildes Meadow, Avoca, Fitzroy Falls, Robertson and even Moss Vale. Already had one client lose a dog and another lost an Alpaca.

[gone]

****

Edited March 2, 2012 by gone

[Clyde]

"in America they call it "SURVIVOR" in Australia we call it "camping"

[dancinbcs]

I have groomed dogs which regularly had p ticks with no reaction. Some dogs appear more sensitive to them than others.

We have ticks here in the Highlands where there is no coast and freezing temperatures.

Thankfully my immediate area doesn't have them as I moved here to be tick free, but 10 minutes either side of me has them so I believe it is only a matter of time until they reach here.

Which regions in the Sthn Highlands have them?

Sydney's south western suburbs are basically tick free and I have never know of anyone to encounter them south (unless you get closer to the coast) or west of here either. .

Wildes Meadow, Avoca, Fitzroy Falls, Robertson and even Moss Vale. Already had one client lose a dog and another lost an Alpaca.

The whole Kangaroo Valley area has always been a problem tick area because of the high rainfall. I still class anywhere east of Moss Vale as coastal but didn't know they had reached as far as Moss Vale itself. Thanks for the heads up.

[Maddy]

Looks pretty good to my knowledge but I didn't realise that Tassie had them.

In the Tamar valley area, definitely.

A friend's dog got one on her lower back, wasn't found until the paralysis got to her hind legs. She was very lucky it was found at the vet and identified correctly.

Different sources will give different ranges for them, all over them considerably far apart (central highlands, Derwent valley, east coast, Tamar valley) so it's probably safe to assume they're everywhere here, confirmed cases have been well outside of the area they used to be confined to.

The species is actually different from that generally found on the mainland- Ixodes cornuatus (Tasmanian paralysis tick), rather than Ixodes holocyclus. Pictures here- http://medent.usyd.edu.au/photos/tick_photos.htm

Tasmanian paralysis tick

Australian paralysis tick

[Chris the Rebel Wolf]

I'm considering a return from the US to Oz. One thing I want to avoid is paralysis tick. I came across this map . . . wonder if it is accurate? Seems to rule out most of the east coast.

http://www.animaloptions.com.au/images/graphics/tick-distribution-map.gif

Nice to hear ou might be coming back to Aussie Sandgrubber

That map looks fairly accurate to some extent. For example here in Townsville, the paralysis is not common in the city or suburbs, is it mainly found in the more out-lying areas with lots of bush around. Anytime me and Zeke head out after I walk in any tick-prone area, I run the brush over him when we get home

Good luck with your decision, and also the move if it goes ahead - I know how exhausting the whole thing is, and I've never moved countries!

[Clyde]

I have groomed dogs which regularly had p ticks with no reaction. Some dogs appear more sensitive to them than others.

We have ticks here in the Highlands where there is no coast and freezing temperatures.

Thankfully my immediate area doesn't have them as I moved here to be tick free, but 10 minutes either side of me has them so I believe it is only a matter of time until they reach here.

Which regions in the Sthn Highlands have them?

Sydney's south western suburbs are basically tick free and I have never know of anyone to encounter them south (unless you get closer to the coast) or west of here either. .

Wildes Meadow, Avoca, Fitzroy Falls, Robertson and even Moss Vale. Already had one client lose a dog and another lost an Alpaca.

The whole Kangaroo Valley area has always been a problem tick area because of the high rainfall. I still class anywhere east of Moss Vale as coastal but didn't know they had reached as far as Moss Vale itself. Thanks for the heads up.

I don't know if I'd class myself as 'Kangaroo Valley area', it's a fair drive from here (I am ten minutes out of Bowral). Ticks are all around Bundanoon too so they are certainly traveling in land over time.