What to do if your cat/dog has been poisoned by a tick?
Try to keep yourself and your cat as calm as possible. Remove food and water as poisoning can prevent the cat/dog from swallowing properly, which in turn could lead to choking. Take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. This is vital, as the residue of the tick’s toxin under the skin can really cause a problem. Although the tick has been killed or removed, the animal can still become paralysed from this residue of poison. The poison is slowly absorbed and may cause paralysis hours or even a day or two later. The longer you delay taking your cat/dog to a vet, the worse the symptoms will become, which may lead to death.
Prevention
The paralysis tick can kill your dog and cat and therefore you must check your animals coat everyday. This involves running your fingers through the entire coat. Ticks are a lot easier to find if you rub your fingertips through your pet’s coat rather than if you try to look for them. In 70% of cases ticks are found in the head and neck region but it is important to search the entire dog (including inside ears, around eyes, under the collar, under lips, between toes, under the tail, chest, belly etc.) Don't forget to remove your pets collar to check the neck area as well as looking in ears. Do not rely on spray and other agents to keep your animal tick free.