Over the past month or so I have found paralysis ticks on me after walking the field.
Whilst this has not had any personal affect on me, it seems as though I may have brought one home on my clothing and given it to my Labrador pup Jess.
A couple of weeks ago we noticed what seemed to be a lameness in one of her front legs. Then we thought that it was her hind leg that was affected. Some time later we realised that she was in trouble and that she was finding it increasingly difficult to stand.
I took her downstairs to relieve her bladder and she could hardly squat. It was after I lay her on her side and was stroking her that I found the tick.
We were lucky.
A rushed trip to club member and vet, Jo and vet husband Kev found her sedated and dosed up with anti-venom. She was hospitalised for several days and made a gradual recovery thanks to the skill of Jo, Kev and their dedicated staff.
The moral of this?
If you are shooting the SQAS or MPB field, there is a lot of bandicoot activity. Bandicoots it would seem are the primary hosts for these deadly parasites. Others are the wallabies that frequent the area. Check yourself after you come off the field and certainly before you have contact with your pets. After the SQAS Field Championships, a husband and wife pair discovered 3 on themselves after returning home.
Check for yourself. Google "paralysis tick" and find out what you need to know about this beast.
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