FYI, Fatal Tick Bite in Dogs

teejk · Feb 6, 2016

Do have the vet check for anaplasmosis. It started in New England (like Lyme) and has spread west and south (and a lot of vets may not know anything about it). It will not show on a Lyme test. Treatment is basically the same with antibiotics but unlike Lyme it never goes away. Our old cocker had periodic relapses evident by the reluctance to climb stairs (back on the antibiotics for a week or so and then he was fine...after we educated our vet he didn't even bother see to him...just renewed the scrip). I did hear of another tick-borne disease (can't remember the name) that is spreading from the west. I know a lot is due to increasing deer populations (carriers) but the real culprit might be coyotes.

Ed of all trades · Feb 6, 2016

EricTheOracle said:
My two dogs get frontline year round as ticks become active right above freezing.

And heart worm year round as well.

Yes my wife found a tick bite on Dec. 5 and on the 18 a bulls eye showed up. It can happen most times of the year. Ed

teejk · Feb 6, 2016

Ed of all trades said:
Yes my wife found a tick bite on Dec. 5 and on the 18 a bulls eye showed up. It can happen most times of the year. Ed

Years ago we hung a deer on a "buck pole". Once the carcass started cooling off the ground was crawling with ticks as they bailed out seeking a new host. Those were the visible wood ticks. The bad ones (tiny...like the size of a pencil point) weren't prevalent then. They are very difficult to detect until that bulls-eye rash appears (IF it appears).

NoTrespassing · Feb 7, 2016

EddieWalker said:
What did you dilute it down to on the horses? Flies can get really bad and so far, we're not winning this battle.

There are a lot of premixed Permethrin treatments for animals but it's cheaper to make it yourself from concentrate. I would consult a vet for the strength but just looking at the web they are claiming 10% Permethrin. Look at the concentrate label and add water accordingly.

Permethrin | EquiMed - Horse Health Matters

EddieWalker · Feb 7, 2016

One of the things that we are hearing from friends is suggestions on fighting tick born diseases. We did a tick panel blood test for tick diseases just to cover everything and make sure there wasn't a disease along with the neurological reaction to the bite.

Tick Paralysis is not a disease. It is an allergic reaction that affects the nervous system. The only way to test for it requires very specialized equipment. Here, we would go down to Texas A&M to have them done. The would do a Myelogram for the nervous system and an MRI just to make sure there wasn't an spinal issues. If he doesn't get better after ten days, that's what we will do.

This is a fairly common thing to happen, we just never heard of it. We now know quite a few people that have told us about losing their pets to this because they waited too long to get to the vet. We where borderline. Should have reacted sooner and taken him in when he first started losing his balance and then the next day, having trouble getting up. Waiting until he wasn't able to move was a horrible mistake!!!!

Today is his forth day of taking steroids and antibiotics. He is more alert and just a touch stronger. He tires out very quickly, but he can get himself up for a minute or so, he has walked for 20 to 30 feet at a time, and he is now holding his head up while laying down and looking around.

toppop52 · Feb 7, 2016

EddieWalker said:
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.

When we bought this property there was a small herd of deer living on it, raising young, the first year we built the house there were ticks everywhere. My wife was bitten 3-4 times that spring and I got several off me before they attached. I used my broadcast spreader to apply Spectracide granules in the back yard for about 60 yards back and to the sides where the deer were. It only used about 40 lbs, since I've been putting out 20 lbs every spring and the activity around here has driven the deer away somewhat, but I've never seen another tick. It was instantaneous almost, I can sit in my grass now and not get up with ticks on my butt! LOL

EddieWalker · Feb 7, 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick_paralysis

More information on Tick Paralysis.

EddieWalker · Feb 7, 2016

Here is a good link that explains what is happening to Raiden.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demyelinating_disease

EddieWalker · Feb 11, 2016

It's been one week since we woke up to find Raiden unable to stand up. Today we took him to the vet and had him do a followup to see how he is doing. The vet said that everything looks good and that he is on the road to recovery. Nothing more to do but wait and let him heal.

He lost 2.6 pounds in one week.

His appetite has always been good, but yesterday it jumped to the point he can't get enough food. The vet said that was a good sign.

If you see your dog fall over or lose coordination, look for ticks and get him to the vet right away. We didn't find the tick until we where there at the vet, and we had looked for hours. Once the tick is removed, it no longer causes additional paralysis. Then it's a matter of time until he regains use of his muscles. His muscles are fine, he just can't control them, or even use them until he heals.

We got lucky in getting him treated when we did. Another day and it would have been worse. Maybe fatal. If we had gotten him to the vet on the first day I noticed something, it would have been a simple thing to take care of without months of healing that is still ahead of him.

It is expected to take 3 months for 100% recovery.