Tick Paralysis

[Popeye]

Alright, so I've been hunting with dogs for a long time now and yesterday morning I woke up to something I have never seen. My breed of choice is the Jagdterrier. A lot of people never heard of them, but they are small dogs used for EVERYTHING except pointing and retrieving large game. They will tree, bloodtrack, and hog hunt but were mostly bred to enter dens and pull out coons, badger, fox, and anything else. My gyp is about 12 inches tall and weighs about 17 pounds. She has absolutely no fear to the point of you have to save her from herself. I've seen her kill coons bigger than her in under five minutes. They are little dogs, but super hard and hunt crazy. Not for the average dog owner.

Anyways, I woke up yesterday morning and the dog was super happy, eating, drinking, fully alert, but she could not walk. She was just flopping around like a fish out of water. Now if you hunt dogs enough you learn to do your own vet work. My dogs don't go to the doctor unless they are bleeding out and I can't stop it. We do stitches, staples, and any other treatment they need. If I can't get medicine over the counter we use the cattle versions because they don't require a scrip. Anyways, this was something I had never seen. I was freaked out. Even though I put them in tough situations I love them. But I was at a loss. So I called a vet friend of mine in another town (hardcore hunter that runs the same dogs as me) and he said she's got a tick on her somewhere and to get it off. Now I've seen them get in dogs ears and throw their equilibrium off, but never this. He said that some ticks put off a neurotoxin (kinda like what is in snake venom) and that it causes tick paralysis. So anyways, I wet her down and find the only tick on her. I get if off and within a couple of hours she is fine.

I never thought of something like that. I'm sure my buddy saved me some money because I was headed to the local vet if he didn't answer. So, if you see your dog acting like this check them for ticks.

[Scootertrash]

That is strange!!

[atc007]

Not a dog guy,but Love animals! Great post, Thanx,and glad she's ok !!

[86T3]

I've heard that this is the worst tick and flea year in ages up in the North East because of the warm winter. I haven't seen any on my dog but i'll keep this in mind. Thanks for sharing

[Popeye]

No problem. Ticks and fleas are always bad down south. I use a combination of things that keep the fleas off my dogs and keep the ticks to a minimum, but I take them out almost every weekend so they are bound to pick up a few. I use unconventional methods that work for a lot cheaper than the typical prices. I use Bayer Tree & Shrub pesticide (the stuff you spray on your garden vegetables) as a flea preventative. I put about 10-15cc on the dog depending on size about once a month. It also works on ticks, but not as well. It has the same active ingredient as Advantage, but doesn't have the stuff that makes it soak into the skin. I just rub it on their bellies real good.Costs about $20 a bottle and lasts about 6 months or so. I use horse spray for the flies. Also about $20 a bottle and lasts forever. Can't put it on pregnant gyps though. For heartworm preventative I use Ivomec Injectable for Cattle (stay away from Ivomec Plus). I give it orally with apple juice. Around 1/10cc per 10 pounds (50 lb dog gets 0.5cc). People do argue about the dosage, but this is what works for me. Costs about $50 for a bottle that will expire before you use it all (lasts like 3-4 years). That's about it. I live in south Mississippi where parasites thrive and I have no fleas, few ticks, and zero problems with heartworms. And it costs less than half on what you spend on the stuff the vet recommends. They'll tell you not to use it, but I have for years with no problems.

I will say take that advice at your own risk. I ain't a vet, don't claim to be, and can't be responsible for what happens to your dog if you give them this stuff. I just know a lot of people that use all that I mentioned and I don't know anybody whose dogs had any problems with them.

[kb0nly]

I hear ya on the meds... On the farm we always took care of the dogs from the fridge in the barn. A lot of them if you read the package and the ingredients you find that the pet versions are the same ingredients and percentages but just repackaged into a smaller unit for over the counter sale, if its a prescription med its still likely to be the same as the bovine version but they package it and call it a pet med and crank up the price gun on them. You can't blame the vets though, its the manufacturers that do it, and the government regulation of some of the stuff that makes them do it also.

Its a bad flea and tick year cause its so dry. I have been checking my two dogs regular and bathing them and treating them with topical flea and tick treatments as well. The tick paralysis is something i have heard of before, and been told about by the vet but have never seen in person. Very scary for sure glad your dog is ok after that experience! Keep an eye on a dog that gets this experience though, from what i have been told they could have what looks like a seizure as well which can really cause problems. The vet here told me about one that got a couple ticks on it and had a reaction similar to your dog, and then started having seizures on the way to the vet after the problem was discovered by the owner, they saved the dog but it lost some facial muscle control and literally can't bring his tongue back in all the way anymore, looks like he is always sticking his tongue out. They reckon he lost most if not all of his sense of taste, which means he also lost most of his sense of smell. Which for a hunting dog is pretty much the end.

Damn bugs getting bad... We need some rain! We got a little shot here Friday, but thats about it.

[ATC-Eric]

Pretty crazy! Glad your pooch is okay.

[Dirtcrasher]

How hard was it to spy the tick?

[Popeye]

It took me a while to find it because she has fairly long and really thick hair. I wet her down and ran a comb through it. I know that the paralysis takes a couple of days to start, so I was looking for a bigger tick and not one that just latched on.

[brapp]

ive shaved my labs and lathered them down with vasolene usualy once3 a year to get all the ticks and crap put of thier skin, vasolene will smother them and make them back out, and the oily creame helps and then just wash them with soem dawn dish soap to break dowe the vasolene so it washes off. and you have happy healthy clean dogs.

[stevensj13]

Glad your dog is alright! Were huge dog people at my house. We have 4 big labs and their all just as much part of the family as anyone. Its really bad with ticks this year around here, especially for people though. Me and my buddies pull off anywhere from 2-10 ticks per trail ride, its pretty nasty. Could this same thing happen to a person?

[Escanabajosh]

glad the pup pulled thru

I have two basset hounds and the oldest last year was having troubles with her jaw so we took her in to our vet and she ran a test. She said it might be lyme disease and the test came back + for it. Few days on some meds and she's all better. We now use frontline 6 months out of the year and it has worked great so far for 2 summers.

Check around to vets and see what prices they got,or call a dog club and ask them what vets are best in price. My old vet in town would charge about 10-20 time what our new vet charges, she has a place right at her house and dont have a bunch of young girls doing the paper work to pay for so her rates are super cheap.....my rabbit would have been $300 for them to see and my new vet cost $30. I have to drive a half hour to get there but well worth it,she's saved me a bunch in the last few years.

ya gotta watch what ya put on a animal some stuff they might not agree with and ya can kill them.....i dont think i would be spraying my dogs with pesticide anytime soon,talk to a vet before ya do anything

to me dogs are like kids....if ya cant afford to take care of them dont get them

[Escanabajosh]

cool lookin dog....i just put it in yahoo picture search and the 2nd picture was of 2 of them barking a fricken cougar into a corner!

http://germanjagdterrier.net/the_cumberland_pack_002.htm