04-08-2025
Aussies warned about little-known winter threat looming over pets: 'Act quickly'
Australian pet owners are being urged to maintain tick paralysis treatments all year round after a beloved family dog was found unresponsive in her home.
Felix Nelson, who owns much-loved Layla, told Yahoo News he first noticed something was off with the German short-haired pointer when she appeared to be a "bit wobbly" after a long walk last month. After an appointment with a vet, who suspected the dog was suffering from a pinched nerve in her back, the pair returned to their Nowra home on the NSW South Coast for some rest.
However, as Felix was heading to bed the same day, he noticed Layla had "gone downhill" and lacked control of her legs, neck and head.
The dog was rushed to hospital, and a tick — which had struck in the middle of winter — was found lodged between her toes. Tick treatment was administered immediately, but she remained in hospital for over a week.
"It was the fact that I happened to catch her at the right time. If she had been a little better at bedtime, she probably would have been gone by morning," Felix told Yahoo. "We were really worried, she's such a good dog."
Thankfully, Layla survived the ordeal, however, the family had to fork out thousands on medical bills. "It was a couple of thousand dollars, it wasn't cheap," Felix said. "It was certainly something the bank account could have done with not spending."
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'Tick season' doesn't really apply anymore, vet warns
Vet Tim Hopkins from SASH explained the idea of "tick seasons" is no longer applicable as the parasites can thrive all year round, leaving pets vulnerable to bites even in winter and cold spells of weather.
"The tick season really doesn't exist anymore. We used to think about ticks being a spring and summer thing, but we see them all year round, even in the cooler weather and in urban areas far from bushland too," he told Yahoo.
This was news to Felix, who admitted the ordeal with Layla had really "opened [his] eyes to what to look out for".
"I'd been making more of an effort in the weeks before [her tick bite] to go out[doors] because it was cooler and the snakes wouldn't be out," he said. "It was kind of a surprise to have her done by a tick, because I always had been told ticks really weren't a problem outside of spring and summer."
While ticks are mostly found on the southeast coast of Australia, cases have popped up in Melbourne and even in Adelaide. Tim explained this is an example of how ticks can "hitchhike" on pets, people or even pot plants, and is something pet owners should also be mindful of.
"Some cases [of tick bites] do have tragic outcomes, but in my view, they are entirely preventable. A good prevention tip is to check your pet daily, and if you see a sign, obviously act quickly, because if you seek veterinary attention, you're much more likely to have a positive outcome," the vet said. "And keep up with your tick prevention medication."
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