Quick answer
The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, lives along Australia's east coast and injects a toxin that can paralyse a dog's legs, throat and breathing muscles, usually 3 to 5 days after it attaches. Treated early with tick antiserum, most dogs survive: about 93% did in a 2024 study of 447 dogs. Any found tick or a changed bark means a vet visit today.
Found a tick on your dog right now?
- Remove it with tweezers or a tick remover, gripping at the head where it enters the skin, without squeezing the body.
- Put it in a sealed container so your vet can identify it.
- Search the whole dog for more ticks.
- Call your vet now, even if your dog seems well. Signs can appear or worsen after removal.
- If there are any signs, do not offer food or water, keep your dog calm and cool, and drive straight to a vet or after-hours emergency clinic.
Based on RSPCA NSW, University of Sydney and Merck Veterinary Manual guidance.
It often starts with something small. Your dog's bark sounds hoarse, or they sit down halfway round the evening walk. Then you run your hand over their neck and feel a grey bump the size of a fingernail. If you live anywhere from north Queensland to eastern Victoria, this guide is the one to read before that night, and again if it is that night.
What is the paralysis tick?
The paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is a native Australian tick, whose natural hosts include bandicoots and other wildlife, that causes the most severe form of tick paralysis (Merck Veterinary Manual). It is found along the eastern coast, in bushland, parks, gardens and coastal scrub, and the University of Sydney's veterinary hospital notes it can be active year-round in the Sydney region, with higher risk in warmer months (University of Sydney).
The risk is not only on the coast. A survey of the Greater Melbourne Area found evidence of I. holocyclus at 24 postcodes, likely hitch-hikers brought in on people, pets or gear, and of the southern paralysis tick, Ixodes cornuatus, at 28 postcodes (Barker and Barker, 2020, Australian Veterinary Journal). Holidays on the coast count too: a dog can come home with a tick it picked up days earlier.
Female ticks feed for several days. Signs usually appear 3 to 5 days after attachment, rarely as late as 18 days, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. That window is why a daily search works: find the tick in the first day or two and most of the danger never arrives.
Paralysis tick symptoms in dogs
The first signs of tick paralysis are usually a change in your dog's bark and weakness in the back legs, followed by gagging or vomiting, then breathing trouble. RSPCA NSW lists a changed bark or voice, gagging or retching, vomiting (sometimes frothy), breathing changes, wobbly back legs progressing to paralysis, drooling, a moist cough and not eating (RSPCA NSW).
Read this graphic as text
Paralysis tick · Australia
Symptoms, in the order they usually come
Early Vet now
Changed or lost bark · wobbly or weak back legs · gagging, retching, vomiting · moist cough · not eating
Progressing Emergency
Struggling to stand or walk · drooling · trouble swallowing · faster, harder breathing
Severe Emergency, call ahead
Unable to stand · laboured breathing, grunting or wheezing · pale or blue gums · collapse
3 to 5 days
Usual time from attachment to first signs (rarely up to 18)
24 hours
Signs can keep worsening after the tick is removed
No food or water
Once signs start: risk of choking and inhaling
Sources: RSPCA NSW, Merck Veterinary Manual, Atwell and Vankan 2024. Not veterinary advice: if in doubt, go to a vet.
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| Stage | What you may see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Change or loss of bark, wobbly or weak back legs, gagging, retching, vomiting or regurgitating, a moist cough, not eating | Vet now, even if your dog still seems bright |
| Progressing | Struggling to stand or walk, drooling, trouble swallowing, faster or more effortful breathing | Emergency: go to the nearest open clinic |
| Severe | Unable to stand, laboured breathing, grunting or wheezing, gums turning pale or blue, collapse | Emergency: call ahead and go immediately |
Do not give food or water once signs have started. A paralysed throat and oesophagus can let food or water go into the lungs, and in the 2024 study, retching or vomiting was linked to a higher risk of death and longer hospital stays (Atwell and Vankan, 2024, Animals).
Can a dog survive a paralysis tick?
Yes, most dogs survive with prompt veterinary treatment. In a University of Queensland study of 506 dogs from 42 east-coast clinics, 6.9% of the 447 dogs with complete records died (31 dogs), which means about 93% survived. The Merck Veterinary Manual gives a usual mortality of 4 to 5%, rising to 10% in some settings.
The same study found who is most at risk. Dogs that died were older (median age 7 years, against 4.5 years for survivors), and breathing signs such as crackles, wheezing and laboured breathing were the strongest warnings. The number and size of ticks did not predict death, so one small tick deserves the same urgency as several.
What happens at the vet
- Tick antiserum (TAS). Made only in Australia, it neutralises toxin still circulating in the blood. Merck advises giving it as early as possible, since later top-up doses are not effective, and most dogs begin to improve 6 to 12 hours after it.
- A full search and tick treatment. Vets clip and search for hidden ticks. In the study, a tick-killing treatment after admission was linked to a shorter hospital stay.
- Support. Fluids, oxygen, quiet hospital care and close monitoring of breathing.
Expect your dog to get worse before getting better. Removing an I. holocyclus tick does not stop the toxin already absorbed, and signs can worsen for about 24 hours (Merck Veterinary Manual, pet owner version). In 9% of dogs in the study, a "lag phase" of further decline came before improvement.
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The nightly tick search
You are the best tick detector your dog has
From a 2024 study of 506 dogs with tick paralysis at 42 east-coast clinics.
74%
of ticks were found by owners
81%
were from the front legs forward
80%
of dogs had a single tick
1. Same time, good light, every day
Fingertips, slowly, against the coat, nose to tail
2. Head and neck first
Lips, around the eyes, inside and behind the ears, under the collar, throat and chest
3. Then everywhere else
Armpits, between and under the toes, skin folds, belly, groin, around the tail
4. Found one? Remove it and call your vet
Grip at the head, keep the tick, search for more
Sources: Atwell and Vankan, Animals 2024; RSPCA NSW. Not veterinary advice.
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How to do a daily tick search
A daily fingertip search is the single most useful thing an east-coast dog owner can do, because owners find most ticks. In the 2024 study, owners detected 74% of ticks, 81% were found from the front legs forward, and 80% of dogs had a single tick.
- Same time every day, ideally in the evening after the last walk, in good light.
- Use your fingertips, slowly, working against the lie of the coat from the nose backwards. Feel for a firm bump; an engorged tick looks bluish-grey.
- Head and neck first: lips and muzzle, around the eyes, inside and behind the ears, under the collar (take it off), throat and chest.
- Then the rest: armpits, between and under the toes, skin folds, belly, groin, and around the tail and bottom, as RSPCA NSW advises.
- Look at small craters in the skin: they can mark where a tick has already dropped off or been scratched away. Mention them to your vet.
Ayurveda places great value on dinacharya, the daily routine that keeps body and mind steady (our Ayurveda for dogs guide explains the idea). For an east-coast dog, the nightly tick search belongs in that rhythm. Done slowly, it feels like a massage, most dogs come to love it, and it costs nothing.
Paralysis tick prevention
Prevention means a vet-recommended tick product, used on schedule all year in tick areas, plus the daily search, because no product is perfect. The University of Sydney recommends year-round prevention for dogs living in or travelling to tick-risk areas, and notes that finding a tick does not necessarily mean the product has failed, since many products kill ticks after they attach.
- Ask your vet which product suits your dog and region, and give it on time. Protection can fade towards the end of each dosing period.
- Never use dog tick products on cats. RSPCA NSW warns that some can kill cats.
- Keep lawns short and shrubs trimmed, and keep dogs on paths and out of long grass and scrub during bush walks.
- Search after every coastal trip, for the next few days as well as the first evening.
Bringing your dog home
Recovery takes weeks, not days. The Merck Veterinary Manual advises avoiding stress and strenuous exercise for 1 to 2 months after tick paralysis, and continuing to search for ticks. Follow your vet's advice on eating and drinking, since swallowing can stay weak for a while. Keep walks short and slow, let your dog rest somewhere cool and quiet, and tell your vet straight away about any coughing or fast breathing.
Gentle, ordinary care helps most now: soft bedding, a calm house, a predictable day. When your dog is back to everyday life, our online vet consultation can help with questions about recovery, diet or getting back to exercise, alongside your own vet.
Frequently asked questions
How long after a tick bite does paralysis start in dogs?
Usually 3 to 5 days after the paralysis tick attaches, and rarely up to 18 days. Signs can still appear or worsen for about 24 hours after the tick is removed.
What is the survival rate for paralysis ticks in dogs?
About 93% in a 2024 study of 447 east-coast dogs, where 6.9% died. Older dogs and those with breathing problems were at highest risk, so early treatment matters.
Should I take my dog to the vet if I removed the tick and they seem fine?
Yes, call your vet straight away. Toxin already absorbed can still cause signs, and your vet may advise monitoring or treatment. Keep the tick for identification.
Can I use a home remedy for a paralysis tick?
No. There is no home treatment for tick paralysis. Tick antiserum and hospital care are the only effective treatment, and they work best when given early.
When is paralysis tick season in Australia?
Risk is highest in spring and summer, but paralysis ticks can be active all year in places such as Sydney, so vets recommend year-round prevention in tick areas.
How we researched this: Written by the AyurPet research team from 6 sources, including a 2024 University of Queensland study of 506 dogs, the Merck Veterinary Manual, the University of Sydney and RSPCA NSW. Last reviewed October 2026.
References
- Atwell R, Vankan D. Prospective Study of 506 Dogs with Tick Paralysis: Investigating Measures of Severity and Clinical Signs as Predictors of Mortality and Assessing the Benefits of Different Therapeutics. Animals. 2024;14(2):188. PMC10812437
- Cope RB. Overview of Tick Paralysis. Merck Veterinary Manual; reviewed 2023. merckvetmanual.com
- Atwell R. Tick Paralysis in Dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual, pet owner version. merckvetmanual.com
- Barker D, Barker SC. Survey of cases of tick-paralysis and the presence of the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, and the southern paralysis tick, Ixodes cornuatus, in the Greater Melbourne Area. Australian Veterinary Journal. 2020;98:2-10. PubMed 31670398
- University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals, The University of Sydney. Ticks (dogs). sydney.edu.au
- RSPCA NSW. How to protect your pets from deadly paralysis ticks this season. 2019. rspcansw.org.au
Tonight, after the last walk, sit on the floor with your dog for five minutes and search from nose to tail. Do it again tomorrow. That habit, and a vet-recommended preventive, is how east-coast dogs stay safe.