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 article is general information, not veterinary advice. If you suspect your dog has a paralysis tick, contact your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately — this is time-critical.
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.
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:
- A change in bark or voice — often the very first sign, sometimes described as sounding hoarse
- Wobbliness in the back legs, or reluctance to jump up
- Vomiting or retching, particularly after eating or drinking
- Heavy or noisy breathing, coughing, or grunting
- Loss of appetite or unusual lethargy
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. Don't squeeze the body, and don't apply methylated spirits, oils or anything else meant to "make it let go" — that can cause the tick to inject more toxin.
Then call your vet regardless, even if your dog seems fine. Symptoms can appear or worsen for several days after removal, and keep the tick if you can — it helps with identification.
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
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.