Bites from encephalitis ticks are not all that common, but the risks do exist, especially in regions where encephalitis is endemic. It is impossible to tell visually whether a parasite is infected or not. Only a laboratory can do that, and you have to bring it the tick removed from the dog. But ticks are a routine matter for pets, and you could go broke trying to determine whether each bloodsucker carries encephalitis or not.
Unfortunately, tick-borne encephalitis is very dangerous – both for animals and for people. It affects the nervous system, causing partial or complete paralysis, and a fatal outcome cannot be ruled out.
Dogs are especially susceptible to this disease, because they are bitten by a particular species of tick that secretes a specific neurotoxin. The incubation period of encephalitis is up to three weeks. And here it is important to catch the first symptoms in order to try to save the dog. There is no cure for encephalitis, but there are medications that will reduce the damage the virus does to the pet’s health.
Signs of tick-borne encephalitis
According to PetMD, signs of tick paralysis in dogs usually appear five to nine days after the first bite. The first symptoms appear in the pet’s hind legs: coordination is impaired, the legs become tangled, and the pet quickly loses the ability to walk.
«This paralysis progresses sharply over the next 24–48 hours, affecting the hind and front limbs, as well as the muscles involved in breathing, and sometimes even the nerves in the face. Tick paralysis can be difficult to diagnose, and its progression and recovery are unpredictable. See a veterinarian immediately!», veterinarians note.
First aid for your pet: what to do if your dog is bitten by a tick Other symptoms may also include:
- facial nerve paralysis, reduced jaw tone and eye reflexes;
- laryngeal dysfunction – the dog cannot swallow;
- rapid breathing, wheezing sounds typical of pneumonia;
- decreased muscle tone;
- fever;
- muscle cramps and spasms.
How to remove a tick from a dog
If you find a tick, it should be removed very carefully. Do not squeeze it out of the bite site, otherwise the toxin will definitely get into the blood. If you tear off the body, the head will remain under the skin, continuing to release the dangerous toxin. You can buy a special tick-removal tool. If you doubt your own abilities, see a veterinarian.
Doctors note that it is important to give all pets an anti-tick serum, to treat their coat with special products, and to have them wear a collar against fleas and ticks. This is especially the case if you often head out to the country, on a picnic, or into the forest. After a walk, carefully examine your pet’s entire body. Run your hands over its head, ears, and neck in search of small bumps – ticks especially like to attach themselves there.
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