Ark Veterinary Hospital | Complete Pet Care

Life Cycle of the Paralysis Tick

Ticks have 4 stages of life:

          o Egg
          o Larva (6 legged)
          o Nymph (8 legged)
          o Adult (8 legged)

What do Paralysis Ticks do?

The tick attaches to the animal and borrows it's mouthparts into the skin. It sucks the blood and injects a neurotoxin called Holocyclotoxin, which causes paralysis.  It is usually the female tick who attaches to animals, the male actually parasitises the female tick. The tick is fairly small when it attaches to it's host, growing in size as it consumes more blood. Illness doesn't occur quickly, it can take hours or even days before symptoms of poisoning become apparent.