Buddy is a well-loved Yorkshire Terrier who has travelled across the world to come to Queensland where unfortunately he got bitten by an Ixodes holocyclis scrub (or paralysis) tick.

These paralysis ticks are very common all around the Sunshine Coast area. Your animals are more likely to meet one if you have their native host animals – bandicoots – in your neighbourhood.

They can be carried by other animals like possums and kangaroos or wallabies too. The young ticks are only the size of a match head when they climb up grass or fronds to crawl onto your pet.

Within 1-3 days of attaching signs of tick poisoning begin. Weakness, staggering, panting, coughing, vomiting, gasping for breath, a change in the bark or meow and collapse are the most common ones.

When Buddy arrived at our surgery he was having trouble getting air as his lungs and throat were becoming paralysed. He was also vomiting frothy fluid.

The combination of vomiting with paralysis of the throat is not good as it can lead to aspiration pneumonia and death. In Buddy’s case the chest and throat were the worst affected areas – he could still walk a little.

He had to have a breathing tube placed into his trachea so he could get oxygen immediately. Later this was replaced with oxygen delivered via a tube placed in his nostril.

He needed this full-time oxygen support for a full 48 hours before he could get his own lungs and throat back in order.

Buddy had to have some tick anti-serum given into his drip.  We also gave intravenous vitamin C which helps in these severe cases. A unique treatment we offer at The Natural Vets.

He was supported and strengthened during his recovery with various homeopathic medicines. Initially he was treated with Carbo veg as he could not breathe, then later he was given Aconite for panic and shock, and then Gelsemium to help unlock the lungs. When he developed inflammation in the lungs he was treated with Lycopodium, and then Apis, to help clear fluid, and finally Arsenicum album as he also had persistent diarrhoea from the poisoning.

At times local paralysis symptoms can persist in the area of the tick attachment. Buddy was left with an eyelid that would not close for a few days and he needed his eyes lubricated during this period.

With these integrative treatments and round-the-clock intensive care Buddy made a full recovery. He went home with serious counsel to protect himself against future tick bites!