If you live anywhere along Australia's east coast, paralysis ticks are one of the few genuine emergencies you can prevent with five minutes of attention a day. They're most active from spring through summer, but in warmer, humid areas they're a year-round risk.
This is time-critical. If you suspect your dog has a paralysis tick, contact your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately. This article is general information, not veterinary advice.
- Check daily through the season — five minutes, nose to tail, fingertips on skin.
- Voice change plus wobbly back legs is the classic early pattern. Treat it as an emergency.
- Call your vet even after removing a tick — symptoms can appear days later.
- Not every flea treatment covers ticks. Ask specifically for a tick preventative.
Where paralysis ticks are found
The Australian paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) lives in a band down the eastern seaboard — roughly from far north Queensland, through New South Wales, and into eastern Victoria. They favour humid bushland, long grass, and scrubby coastal areas. Bandicoots are their natural host, so anywhere bandicoots live, ticks tend to follow.
Importantly, your dog doesn't need to go bush to pick one up. Suburban backyards that back onto reserves, coastal walking tracks, and even well-kept parks are all common sources.
How to do a proper tick check
Do this daily during tick season. It takes about five minutes once you get the rhythm.
- Start at the nose and work back. Use your fingertips, pressing firmly enough to feel the skin — not just the coat.
- Check inside and around the ears, including the ear flaps and the folds at the base.
- Work over the head, under the chin, and down the neck. Roughly three-quarters of ticks are found forward of the shoulders.
- Check the armpits, chest and belly, then along the back and down each leg.
- Don't skip the awkward spots — between the toes, under the tail, and around the groin.
- 75%of ticks are found forward of the shoulders
- 5 minfor a thorough daily check
- Dailyhow often to check in season
You're feeling for a lump anywhere from a pinhead to a grape, depending on how long it's been attached. Part the fur and look directly at anything you find — skin tags and nipples are commonly mistaken for ticks, and vice versa.
Early warning signs
Paralysis tick symptoms usually appear gradually and get worse over hours to days. Early signs are easy to dismiss:
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A change in bark or voice
Often the very first sign. Owners frequently describe it as sounding hoarse or muffled.
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Wobbliness in the back legs
Unsteadiness, swaying, or a sudden reluctance to jump up onto the couch or into the car.
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Vomiting or retching
Particularly after eating or drinking, and sometimes with drooling or difficulty swallowing.
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Heavy or noisy breathing
Grunting, coughing, or breathing that sounds like harder work than usual.
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Loss of appetite
Skipping meals, or unusual lethargy and flatness that doesn't have another explanation.
Weakness that starts in the hind legs and moves forward is the classic pattern.
If you see any combination of these — especially voice change plus wobbliness — treat it as an emergency, even if you can't find a tick.
If you find a tick
Remove it as soon as possible. Use a proper tick remover if you have one; otherwise grip as close to the skin as you can and lever it out steadily.
Do
- Use a purpose-made tick remover if you have one
- Grip right at the skin and lever out steadily
- Keep the tick in a container — it helps with identification
- Call your vet even if your dog seems completely fine
Don't
- Squeeze the tick's body
- Apply methylated spirits, oils or anything to "make it let go"
- Assume you're clear because you found one — keep checking
- Wait and see how your dog goes overnight
Anything applied to make a tick detach can cause it to inject more toxin. Remove it mechanically, then call your vet regardless — symptoms can appear or worsen for several days after removal.
Prevention that actually works
Talk to your vet about a tick-specific preventative. Not all flea treatments cover paralysis ticks, and the products that do vary in how long they last. Your vet will recommend based on your area, your dog's size and health, and the season.
Beyond medication:
- Keep grass short and clear leaf litter where your dog spends time
- Avoid long grass and bush tracks during peak season where practical
- Keep up daily checks — no preventative is 100%, and daily checks are the backstop
- Set a recurring phone reminder for the day your preventative is due
Common questions
When is paralysis tick season in Australia?
Peak activity runs through spring and summer, roughly September to March. In warmer, humid parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales, ticks can be active all year, so check with your local vet rather than relying on a calendar.
Can a dog recover from a paralysis tick?
Yes — many dogs recover well with prompt veterinary treatment, which usually involves tick antiserum and supportive care. Outcome depends heavily on how early treatment starts, which is exactly why the early signs matter so much.
My dog is on a flea treatment. Is that enough?
Not necessarily. Plenty of flea products don't cover paralysis ticks at all. Check the packaging for paralysis tick cover specifically, and confirm the dosing interval with your vet — some products protect for a month, others for longer.
What if I can't find a tick but my dog seems unwell?
Go to the vet anyway. Ticks hide in ears, between toes and under the tail, and a tick can drop off after injecting enough toxin to cause symptoms. Don't let a clean search talk you out of a vet visit.
The short version
Check daily, know the early signs, act immediately if something seems off, and get a vet-recommended preventative in place before the season starts. Paralysis ticks are serious, but they're also one of the most preventable emergencies in Australian pet ownership.