A THORNLANDS veterinarian is urging people to check their pets for ticks as warm weather sets in.
Temperatures in the late thirties were observed around the Redlands on Monday and Tuesday, providing the ideal climate for the parasites to thrive.
Dr Katria Lovell, of Redlands Veterinary Clinic, said she had treated about 25 pets for tick bites since the start of September.
"That is a really big concern because they are really nasty cases too," she said.
"They are very, very sick and they are tending to be in hospital from one to two days right up to seven days."
Dr Lovell said ticks were also seen in greater numbers following a bout of wet weather.
She said tick prevention should be used on pets before they are taken out and about this time of year.
"The other thing with the heat is a lot of wildlife are on the move and this is where people get caught out," she said.
"They think 'my dog doesn't leave the backyard so it doesn't need to be on tick prevention', but possums carry paralysis ticks that are completely resistant to them.
"I always say to people wherever there is a possum there will be paralysis ticks."
Dr Lovell said owners should be checking their pets for ticks every day even if they are using preventatives.
"We had a case last week where (a pet) had his collar off for one day, got a tick and passed away," she said.
"...The other thing we are finding is we are having to pull multiple ticks off one pet.
"We had a cat with five ticks on it last week."
Dr Lovell warned that the peak period for ticks would be from now until about Christmas.
Redlands Veterinary Clinic have released a public statement on their Facebook page explaining why tick paralysis is so difficult to treat.
They list things like heart failure, organ failure, urinary tract infections and respiratory failure as some of the major complications of exposure to tick bites.
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