Paralysis Tick Prevention

Over the years, as new paralysis tick prevention products have come and gone (does anyone remember Proban?), I have often been asked by clients which product is the best choice for their pet.

Many different factors go into choosing a paralysis tick preventative, such as:

• What is currently available on the market

• How much each option costs

• How each option is administered - topspot, chew, tablet, injection

• Where the pet lives (the Northern Beaches is a global paralysis tick hotspot!)

• How often the pet is outside

• The potential impact a paralysis tick could have on the pet

• How the pet receives other preventative medications, such as their heartworm prevention

As you can see, a customised recommendation is always best. However, as a general overview, here are my top tips for choosing a product for your pet:

On the Northern Beaches, choose something over nothing

Although the product choice can be overwhelming, and many are worried about the toxicity of such products, in our local area you just cannot take the risk of not using a tick preventative. Paralysis ticks are extremely toxic themselves and can rapidly cause fatal paralysis of the muscles required for breathing, swallowing, walking, and urinating. In addition, even if your pet does survive an episode of tick paralysis, the effects on your pet's heart muscles and their ability to regulate their body temperature can persist for six weeks following toxicity.

Some pets, such as squashed-face (bracycephalic) dogs & cats, and those with underlying health conditions, have an increased risk of death. Some pets are also just naturally more sensitive (or more resistant) to paralysis ticks, so it is a gamble how your pet will be affected.

Once treatment with the tick antitoxin is commenced your pet will still deteriorate over the next 24 hours, as the antitoxin only binds with the toxins still in the blood stream, not those already attached to the nerves, so it can be challenging to predict how your pet will go.

In short, it is a rare patient to whom I recommend against paralysis tick prevention of any kind.

Look at the bigger picture when it comes to multi-products

It can be tempting to reach for a multi-product when choosing a paralysis tick preventative. After all, if you need to give Fluffy a chew every month you might as well choose one that also covers heart worm and intestinal worms, right? Unfortunately, it is not that simple, and drug companies often promote convenience over what is truly best for your pet. There are a few reason why I am not much of a fan of these multi products:

• They aren't as 'complete' as they seem. There is currently no one chew on the market that covers all the intestinal worms of concern - most leave out tapeworm (especially hydatid tapeworm) prevention, as it is a bitter tasting product. If your pet eats raw wild meats, such as kangaroo, and offal, they will still need a more complete intestinal worm preventative anyway.
  

• If a dose is missed, heartworm prevention is compromised. Did you know that when you give an oral product that covers heartworm, it actually treats your pet for heartworm exposure the month before you give the chew? The way these products work is by killing the young stages of heartworm that may be in your dog's body already. If you miss a dose, and the younger life stages have progressed, they will continue to develop into full adult heartworms, despite the regular use of the multi-products after the treatment gap. The only product with a long 'reach back' is the heartworm injection (with a reachback of 3 months of cover, and 12 months moving forward).
  

• They contribute to the over-medicating of pets. Intestinal worming products only need to be given to your adult pet every three months as a maximum, yet multi-products are given monthly due to their heartworm, tick, and flea components. If your pet only eats cooked or air-dried meat products, or raw meat products that are low risk for parasites (eg raw chicken, beef, or lamb, fit for human consumption), they may not need a regular intestinal worming product at all. At Aubreen Veterinary Hospital we recommend against regular intestinal worming across the board, and instead screen pets for parasites at their yearly health check, so only those who require intestinal worming products receive them.

Minimise the impact on your pet's liver

Many people I speak to are tempted to avoid the isoxazoline group of tick paralysis preventatives (Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica, Credelio, etc) due to the potential impact on the liver, and the body as a whole. Currently, these products are by far the most effective available, especially for swimming dogs, for whom tick collars (such as Seresto) may be less effective.

The vast majority of all the cats & dogs we care for at Aubreen Veterinary Hospital are on one of these products, and thankfully, the incidence of side effects is rare. However, there is no downside to boosting your pet's liver health during the time of administration of one of these products, to minimise the impact as the liver metabolises the drug.

I recommend giving your pet a dose of milk thistle (either the whole plant extract or just silymarin, the main active in milk thistle) 5 days before and 5 days after tick preventative administration, for an added layer of protection. For specific milk thistle supplement recommendation (brands, doses etc), please get in touch with me or call the reception team at AVH, as we are only able to give dosing advice and dispense products to animals currently under my care or the care of one of our other veterinarians.

Despite being in the same drug family, isoxazoline products do not have identical ingredients, so if one does not suit your pet, feel free to try a different product before you give up on them altogether.

Be confident in your choice

Pets, especially dogs, are masters at picking up and internalising our emotions. If the act of giving your pet a monthly or 3-monthly paralysis tick preventative fills you with fear of the toxicity or side effects, or even just the act of getting it into them, your pet will know about it. The anxiety and panic rolling off your body will make them panic as well, elevating their blood pressure, and raising their stress hormone levels, before you've even opened the packet!

Paralysis ticks inject over twenty neurotoxins into their host's body as they drink their blood, over the course of many days. They are most definitely the greater of all the evils we have discussed. You are in control of your pet's health, and when you give them a preventative product, so set yourself up for success. Choose a product that makes you as comfortable as possible. Stay as calm as you can, and even make it fun, by giving treats at the same time or making it part of a game you play with your pet.

If all else fails, you are welcome to bring your pet & the product up to us at AVH, as we administer these products at no additional cost to you, whether you bought it from us or not. We will snuggle & play with your pet whilst radiating confidence and calm, as we do this literally every single day! If it is the difference between your pet having the preventative and not, it will be worth the time it takes.

So what's the bottom line with product choice?

As you can see, it's a very personal decision. As with almost all things in holistic veterinary medicine, individual variations matter. My own young healthy Corgi, Freddie, is on Bravecto every 3 months, plus an annual heartworm injection. I don't worry about regular intestinal worming, as he doesn't eat raw offal or wild meats (only the air dried versions). Johnny, my 8 year old Labrador who is in remission from cancer, also receives Bravecto every 3 months, though he is on a regular milk thistle supplement. If he wasn't, I would use one around the time of administration, due to his age & health conditions. I would be equally happy with a plain monthly tick product for them, such as Nexgard or Simparica (not a multi, like Nexgard Spectra or Simparica Trio), but with my busy life currently it is easier to rely on a longer lasting product.

One of my cats, a 12yr old Domestic Shorthair, Benjamin, receives a Bravecto topspot every 3 months. I am especially vigilant with his cover, even though he rarely goes outside, as he has a heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) making him more vulnerable to the effects of paralysis ticks. My other cat, an 11yr old Domestic Shorthair, Susan, is on monthly Revolution Plus, as Bravecto causes an irritated patch on her skin & some fur loss.