Treatment reduces tick paralysis deaths
Up to 80 percent of dogs and cats dying from infestation by the lethal paralysis tick could be saved as a result of breakthrough University of Queensland research.
Research by PhD student Fiona Campbell of the School of Veterinary Science and Animal Production has for the first time been able to link tick paralysis to heart failure and lung problems in critically-ill animals.
There have already been 14,000 cases of infestation reported this year in Queensland and NSW, with an estimated 5 percent of dogs dying despite treatment.
Ms Campbell, one of three postgraduates working on tick paralysis, and her PhD supervisor Dr Rick Atwell have already used the UQ Veterinary Teaching Hospital monthly lecture series to inform Brisbane veterinarians of the use of existing drugs for the life-saving treatment regime.
"Treatment has never really targeted the effects of the toxins from the ticks on the heart and lungs, it has concentrated on dealing with the leg and body paralysis," Ms Campbell said.
"The research conducted at an associate practice, Manly Road Veterinary Hospital, defines the changes taking place in the heart and lungs by using ultrasonography, radiography, ECG and blood analyses."
The discovery was fast-tracked through a total of $100,000 in grants from Merial, a company which manufactures tick preventive products, in the last two years.
The money allowed Ms Campbell to more closely examine discrepancies in data relating to tick deaths by conducting a survey of 600 infested dogs on Australia's east coast.
Dr Atwell said pet-only research did not qualify for standard competitive grants, and "such practical and directly applicable" research at UQ relied on small private donations, company sources and the creation of perpetual scholarships.
He said it was important for pet owners to get animals to a veterinarian quickly after noticing paralysis tick warning signs such as changes in the bark, breathing difficulties and weak back legs.
For more information, phone Dr Atwell on (07) 3365-2551.
