Veterinarians are urging pet owners to stay up to date with their tick protection

Veterinary clinics across the region are urging their clients to stay up to date with tick protection because there isn't enough serum to go around.

There has been a large number of tick paralysis cases across the country in recent weeks and right now a resupply of the lifesaving tick serum is at least four weeks away. It could be even longer.

Morpeth Veterinary Hospital veterinarian Nicole Han has urged dog and cat owners to be vigilant and do what they can to prevent a tick bite.

The clinic has already seen several cases of tick paralysis, which is caused by a particular type of tick, and expects to see more as the season continues.

Dr Han said the clinic does have a supply of tick serum and the dose given is dependent on the animal's weight. She said pet owners actively preventing tick bites would help to keep the serum in stock.

"Unlike a snake bite, tick paralysis is completely preventable with the right treatment. There are so many products out there that people can choose from - from ones that are applied on the skin to chewable ones and even tick collars," she said.

"Be cautious when walking your dog outside and avoid bushy areas, and with cats if they are outdoor cats then keep them inside.

"The cost of the treatment for a tick bite can be quite costly too, so prevention is much better than treatment."

Dr Han said any dog or cat with even the mildest of tick bite symptoms should be taken to their local vet clinic.

Symptoms to look out for include weakness in the back legs, lethargy, vomiting, coughing, difficulty swallowing, decreased appetite, difficulty urinating and a change in the bark or meow.

"Sometimes the symptoms can be non-specific like vomiting or a decrease in appetite or lethargy, but mostly the first sign is weakness in the back legs," she said.

"The last thing that happens is respiratory distress - cats will have open mouth breathing and dogs will be clearly in respiratory distress and that is not a good sign and means it has gone on longer than it should have."

Dr Han said pet owners should find out how long their tick protection product lasts and make sure they reapply it before it expires.

She said giving a dose one or two days late could make an animal vulnerable to a paralysis tick. She also encouraged owners to check their pet's body for ticks every day as another level of protection.

"It doesn't hurt to give [the tick protection] a little bit early because it's not as strong in its prevention when it's almost due again," she said.

There are several types of ticks in the environment and some, like cattle and bush ticks, are harmless to dogs and cats.

Dr Han encouraged every owner to make sure they can identify a paralysis tick.