Paralysis ticks, severe threat to your pets, I lost my little buddy today to one here in Oz.

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

Paralysis ticks are evidently in the USA as well, so this hopefully might prevent the heartache I am feeling right about now from visiting one of our contributors here at ATS.

He was 13 1/2 years old, my best mate all that time. We went through an awful lot together..

He was a small dog, and old, so the ticks poison hit him extra hard.

It was a horrible thing to see him suffering and trying to breathe, as the paralysis set in...

We got him to the vet as fast as possible too.

He went from perfectly fine 2 days ago to dead today... from a bloody tick.

So, as advice to you readers, find out if they are present where you live in the USA, and please treat your dog, to prevent them getting onto them.

I am sure his age, and small size was a factor, and keep this in mind for your pets.

It is just turning summer here, and the ticks do come out about this time of year here..

We gave him his tick treatment, but I think it was already on him when we treated him.

Word to the wise, and avoid the sadness I am feeling right about now

Pravdaseeker

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Mate so sorry to hear this sad news. Thank you for the information. Will check it out in my area. Truly sorry mate.

He’s on the Rainbow Bridge my man. God rest his soul....our pets are our family, it’s like loosing your right arm. Lost my German shepherd at 12 years old, he was smarter then most humans, I’ll never get over it entirely

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

Thanks outlier13, the house here seems extremely empty with him gone.

I will go retrieve his broken body from the vet tomorrow and bury him in the back garden of our home when I get home.

We still have his brother, so we aren't pet-less... but it still hurts to see him go too soon by a darn tick.

His brother Dominic, is still looking for him.... they been together since they were born.

He knows something ain't right... I am hoping Dominic will be with us for another few years at least. At 13 1/2 years old, they are running on the lean end of time left in this world.

If there is a dog heaven, he should be getting ushered in with full honours.

Pravdaseeker




a reply to: Outlier13

So sincerely sorry. That's a big hurt I have felt.

Have not heard of this tick-is it in the US? It is turning fall here so hoping all the ticks and fleas die soon. I treat my yard because I don't want to put the treatment inside my pets. Again, I feel for you. So, sorry.

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

Thanks WUNK22, you are correct about the losing of an arm thing...

He was my shadow.

He was my best mate.

He was just happy to be near me and my wife...

And damn, I miss him very much

Pravdaseeker




a reply to: WUNK22

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

Yeah Justso, evidently they are in the USA too. I didn't think they were, but I googled it, and yep!

I looked up symptoms and etc for the tick, and one of the links was from the USA and talking about them being there too; just not as widespread as they are here in Oz.

So keep it in mind as we try to look out for our fur buddies.

Pravdaseeker


a reply to: Justso

a reply to: pravdaseeker

I can't even imagine the pain. I have a little furry shadow myself and she is always with in feet of me whenever I am home. She sure makes life extra special.

Thankfully Dominic is still with you.

Thanks again,

Yes, pets do make life extra special.

He was a spoiled little s**t, got cranky with his brother too.. Ha!

Yeah, life is going to be a lot different now with him gone.

Thanks again for your thoughts and words.

Pravdaseeker

a reply to: Outlier13

I am saddened by your loss. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is an issue where we live, and we have had a lot of ticks this year. I had an encounter with Lyme disease 20 years ago... it was no picnic.

My wife uses a mix of essential oils added to water in a spray bottle to ward off the little blood-suckers, and it works. We use it on ourselves, our dogs and cats. She uses 10 drops each of concentrated essential oils, lemongrass and spearmint added to one quart of water. I use it myself when trekking through brush and high grasses... haven't had a tick all year.

I hope this helps pet owners in areas with ticks. You never think about the little ba$tards, until you get bit...

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

Thanks madmac5150, appreciate the thoughts, and the important reminder of Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Good grief, I looked it up on google just now, and yep, we got RMSF in Oz too! How anti-American of us down here in Oz... stole your bloody tick disease there too eh? At least they could have named it with an Ozzie term like "Kangaroo Spotted Fever"; or "Koala Kickbut Fever". Sorry, dark humour is helping me be a bit distracted from sitting here dwelling on my dead fur buddy. And trying to figure out exactly where he will reside etc, all that damn sad stuff.

Oh man, I do feel for you with your episode with Lyme disease...

Were you one of those poor people that were constantly being told Lyme disease does not exist, it "is in your head"? Nowadays, they at least acknowledge it is real.. Did you get the awful rash with it? Some don't.. I guess if you had the rash, the doctors couldn't say it's in your head then right?!

Well, we have another thing in Oz too, called Ross River Fever.

You get it from a mozzy, or mosquito bite that has it in it's blood. A good friend of mine had RRF some years ago, and it's like Lyme disease; it can muck with you for years really.

His immune system has been severely damaged by his bout of RRF... he now catches ANYTHING that is going around. If a gnat sneezes across the football field, he will catch it, it seems. Poor guy has always got a runny nose it seems.

If you got Ross River Fever in the USA too now, then we are entirely getting too friendly and sharing things a bit too much. Ha!

Thanks for the words and the momentary distraction from dwelling on my fur buddy.

Pravdaseeker










a reply to: madmac5150

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Been trying to avoid this thread. Hearts in my throat. I know your buddy was up in age, but that doesn't change what happened.

No Words..

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

Thanks bigburgh,

I just went out to feed the finches we raise. Missed getting it done due to emergency vet evacuation thing this morning. And as I went out the back door, I did the automatic check for him in the door, and to make sure he didn't get pinched when the glass slid shut..because he followed me everywhere, and I mean everywhere.

Crap, did that tug at the heart strings a bit!..I was doing pretty good til that happened..

It brought it all home again... ouch.

Thanks again for your thoughts and words.


a reply to: Bigburgh

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Oh that is so sad and I'm sorry for your loss.

a reply to: pravdaseeker

I can completely understand your heartache, having lost 2 loving golden retrievers over my lifetime. Nobody can tell me dogs don't have souls. Any living thing that can give so much comfort, love and joy must have a soul. I'm really sorry for your loss.

Here in west central Michigan, ten years ago, we hardly had ticks. You'd see them north or west of here or down by the river in the spring. Now my property and all around here has them from early April into July. It's the brown tick aka the American dog tick. Next-Guard worked great on the dogs, I wish they had that for people. I've keep the area around the house clear of high brush and grasses, the lawn is a putting green, there's some critters around though so they were even around the house.

The Brown tick we have can transmit some diseases, but it has to be firmly attached and sucking blood for like 24 hours before it can. There are a few others like the Lone Star tick, but mostly the brown ones. It gets so bad that you could have a good business dealing with them for four or five months of the year. I'm going to experiment with different methods of reducing their numbers around the yard. If I can get rid of them here, I can do the same for other people and I know that means some good money.

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Pravda, our dogs are members of the family. I feel for your loss. I have also felt such pain.
Someone just told me that "if dogs had opposable thumbs we would be working for them".
RIP little doggy.

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

Fur buddy at rest now in the garden.. My wife found a lily plant blooming in the garden..so we transplanted it to be on his grave. They always bloom this time of year here. It is a lovley lily..

IT was very sad, but he wasn't suffering any more either...

Dominic his brother now knows what happened... he wouldn't leave the towels his brother was wrapped in. Then he wanted to lay on the grave. He knows Santo is in doggy heaven now.

Animals are more aware than we give them credit for folks.

Pravdaseeker


a reply to: pravdaseeker

originally posted by: pravdaseeker

Animals are more aware than we give them credit for folks.

Stumbling upon this thread I just want to give you a big hug.

I mourn the passing of my babies for years. They become our soul mates.
Yes the ones left behind mourn, I have an ancient cat who is dying slowly, the dogs treat him like royalty. My giant Rotty is so careful with him, she curbs herself around him on the blanket and licks him gently.
She will miss him.
]]]]]]]]HUGS[[[[[[[[

a reply to: pravdaseeker


Ticks are nasty little bastards, sorry for loss, its rough losing our furry friends.

I knew a guy who died from a tick bite, he just collapsed at a party and died, there was a police investigation as they suspected foul play, the autopsy came back with the unlikely results.

In regards to another comment on this page, I'm not sure but I think here in OZ lymes disease is not recognised, different in the U.S though I believe.