Megan Hassell Veterinarian BVSc - King Country Vets
With spring now in full swing and things warming up, plus the rain we are having, it looks as if we are in for a bad year for ticks. We are already having several conversations with clients about treating their animals.
The most likely places you will see them are in the ears, as animals are grazing with their heads down, or up under the legs particularly around the udder.
The most at-risk locations are those with long rank pasture or with scrubby regrowth.
Areas with domesticated or feral deer also tend to be worse.
Treating from August onwards reduces the number of nymphs that become adults.
Cattle
Our go-to treatment is Flumethrin pour on. This is a pour on treatment with nil meat and milk withhold, that lasts for three weeks.
It is effective against all three life stages of the cattle tick.
Doramectin injectables are also effective. As tick numbers increase and the locations where we are seeing them increase, we start to see more cases of theileria.
This is a blood borne disease that ticks carry. The protozoa live in the red blood cells (RBCs) and break down the RBCs.
Animals that are previously exposed have some natural immunity, so we often don’t see outbreaks in these situations. The most at risk animals are those that are naïve, and we can see large numbers of animals getting anaemia.
Prompt treatment is required, and severe animals may even need a blood transfusion.
Sheep
Treatments include Flumethrin (off label), Organophosphates or cyrazin KO (ivermectin active).
The most at risk are lambs, which can develop anaemia.
Checking lambs’ ears from at risk paddocks during routine drenching helps to diagnose and they are also noticeable at shearing.
Dogs
Routinely checking ears and under the legs is important, particularly if they have been in paddocks with long grass.
There are several treatment options available to treat ticks.
Our long-acting products are Bravecto and the Seresto collars, or for a one-month treatment, we have Nexgard.
A permethrin concentrate or Frontline can also be sprayed on
Deer
Treatment options are Flumethrin or tick tags.
Ticks are particularly an issue in the long grass of fawning paddocks.
Fawns can develop severe anaemia and die if there are large burdens.
The ticks will also damage the velvet if in large numbers.
Pasture management plays an important role in reducing numbers by reducing the amount of overgrown pasture.
Sheep or cattle have even been used to “soak up” ticks from these paddocks, and then treating these animals.
Horses
Permethrin concentrate can be used or tick tags on the head collar or fly cover.
