Travelling with pets

One of our biggest concerns for pet owners of FNQ is tick paralysis. Tick paralysis is caused when a certain type of tick attaches to your pet and injects a toxin that blocks neurological transmission around the body. This causes progressive paralysis that can lead to respiratory failure and death. While the later signs of tick paralysis are obvious to the observer (weakness, wobbliness, collapse, difficulty breathing, etc.), the early signs can be subtle – such as vomiting, lethargy, change in appetite, change in bark, and seeming out-of-sorts. 

If you suspect your pet is suffering tick paralysis, early detection, removal, and treatment is paramount to success. You should contact us as soon as possible for further advice and to book an appointment. You should search your entire dog for ticks, especially the front of the animal. If you find a tick, remove it as close to the skin as possible without leaving its head and neck – preferably with tick tweezers – and keep the tick for the vet to examine. Keep your animal calm, cool, and as relaxed as possible until you get to the vet. 

Fortunately for us and our dogs, tick paralysis is relatively simple to prevent. There are some great products on the market for tick prevention – best selected for your pet based on their particular needs and other preventatives. Please call us or drop into the clinic to determine the best option for your pet. It is also a good idea to avoid tick-prone areas, keep your dog well-groomed, and perform and perfect your pets' daily tick search.

Please contact us should you have any queries. 

Heartworm is a blood-borne parasite in dogs that resides in the heart and is spread by mosquitoes. It can result in severe disease and even death and can be particularly difficult to treat. Being spread by mosquitoes, its prevalence is largely related to the mosquito prevalence in a given area - meaning it is rife in the tropical North. Like paralysis ticks, heartworm is easily prevented using monthly chewable (often combined with flea, tick, and worm) or a yearly injection. If your pet is not up to date on heartworm prevention, it is important to test for heartworm prior to selecting a preventative. Please contact us should you have any queries. 

Heat stress or heat stroke can occur suddenly in the north, especially in the humid months. Though any pet can be affected, dogs with short noses (pugs, bulldogs, etc) or the very old/young are most susceptible. Traveling animals are also over-represented due to sudden changes in climate and the practical challenges of traveling with pets. Avoiding heat stress involves being vigilant with common sense - provide access to water and shade, exercise at the cooler times of the day, plan travel accordingly, and never leave your dog in hot environments - especially in the car.

The signs of heat stress begin with panting, agitation, and distress and can progress to labored breathing, collapse, unconsciousness, and death. Any dog showing these signs needs to be seen by a vet as a matter of urgency. In the meantime, you should remove the dog from the hot environment and cool them using cool (not icy) water and a fan if available. Apply a wet towel to your dog and allow the water to contact the skin then either scrape off the water or squeeze the water from the towel then repeat. The goal here is to remove warm water and replace it with cool, all the while allowing evaporation. Allow access to water regularly but in small amounts.       

Ehrlichia Canis is the nasty new kid on the block that seems to be on the run. it is a bacterial infection that is spread by the brown dog tick and causes a wide range of clinical signs, ranging from fever, lethargy, and weakness to bleeding disorders, neurological signs, and severe immune system compromise (often fatal). It is a notifiable disease and is presently active in the NT, northern SA, and northern WA. There has been one case in a west QLD dog that had not traveled out of the state. As yet there have been no known cases in our region. 

Unfortunately, chewable tick preventatives rely on the tick feeding from the dog to kill the tick, potentially allowing transmission of E. Canis. Prevention, therefore, relies on doubling up on tick prevention if you are entering a high-risk area - with your regular chewable in conjunction with a tick collar (such as Seresto). Also avoid tick-prone environments such as long grasses and bushlands, especially in the afford mentioned areas. 

Please visit https://www.qld.gov.au/ and search for “E. Canis” to find out more information and understand your obligations as pet owners. 

Leptospirosis is a deadly bacterial disease that is spread by rodents and survives well in hot, humid environments. It is therefore highly prevalent in our region, especially in rural areas, wet bushlands, or around cane farms. Thankfully there is an effective vaccination against the most prevalent strain in our region and this is considered part of the core vaccination. Please note that this is a different vaccination from the common Leptospirosis vaccination administered further south. Please contact the clinic if you are unsure about your dog's vaccination status.

Cane toads are common to FNQ and more so in the cooler months. Poisoning occurs when our pets lick or bite the toad - making contact with the toxin which is rapidly absorbed across mucous membranes. Puppies are naturally more susceptible due to their natural curiosity. The effects of the toxin are locally irritating and systemically hallucinogenic. Rarely, dogs will develop a  liking for the effects and actively seek cane toads for the effects. 

The most obvious sign of cane toad toxicity is profuse salivation and discomfort around the mouth. The systemic signs (if sufficient toxin is ingested) include tremors/spams, marked agitation, collapse, disorientation, seizures, and rarely cardiac arrest. Should you suspect your pet is affected, use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe the mouth, tongue, and lips - wringing out the cloth and soaking regularly. Do not use a hose as this risks getting water down the lungs. Contact the clinic for further advice and as a matter of urgency if the systemic signs are developing.