The few cases of tick paralysis that have presented to us in the past are those animals that have been on holidays in paralysis tick area, or their owners have and then brought them back into our area.

In this case, neither of these scenarios applied.

The current theory is that given the recent bush fires around the Taralga/Wombeyan Caves area, this has forced wildlife carrying paralysis ticks into the area.

These little creatures are not something we usually see in the Upper Lachlan Shire due to our weather conditions not being favourable for their survival.

These ticks are not to be confused with their less fatal counterparts, which we do get in our shire - the cattle and bush tick.

A pet affected by tick paralysis will exhibit clinical signs that include: weakness/paralysis starting in the back legs, progressing towards the head; change in bark; vomiting, retching or gagging; difficulty breathing; or presence of tick or tick crater.

If you notice any of these signs contact your veterinarian immediately.

As always, prevention is better then a cure.

A daily tick search should be performed on your pet and there are many effective products available on the market to help prevent against ticks, however no product is 100 per cent effective.