Ollie, a 10-year-old Shetland sheepdog, has always been a very active and healthy dog. He’d run around outdoors and even go on camping trips with his owners.
But after returning from their last trip, Ollie just wasn’t the same. He’d lie around and wouldn’t eat much, so they knew something was wrong. Soon after that, Ollie became totally paralyzed. Unable to eat or even go to the bathroom, they sought immediate help.
No one knew what was wrong. His family loved him too much to watch him suffer and made the tough decision to have him put down.
Ollie was being prepared for the procedure at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital when an intern started scratching him behind his ear. That’s when they felt a tiny bump. It was a tick.
Tick paralysis is a rare condition, but Dr. Adam Stone remembered learning about it. All of Ollie’s symptoms matched the condition, so they removed the tick and told his owners to wait a couple of days.
They completely shaved Ollie’s body to make sure there were no other ticks and sent him home. And within just 10 hours, Ollie was back to normal! His parents were so happy, they took Ollie back to the clinic to show off his progress.
Ollie’s parents will make sure to take extra care to prevent ticks in the future. Thanks to the vets and their quick thinking, Ollie was spared from euthanasia at the last moment.
What a close call! This is definitely good to know and something to keep an eye on with your pooches!