Ollie, a 10-year-old Shetland sheepdog, had a very close call. He’d always been active and healthy – running around outdoors and enjoying camping trips with his family.
However, the normally happy dog wasn’t his usual self after returning from their last trip. He would lay around and when he wouldn’t eat much, his family knew something was wrong. Not long after, Ollie suddenly became paralyzed. His family immediately sought help as he couldn’t move or eat or even go to the bathroom.
Nobody knew what had gone wrong. And not knowing what could be done to help him, his family made the agonizing decision to put him to sleep as they loved him too much to watch him suffer.
As Ollie was being prepared for the procedure at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital, an intern was scratching him behind the ear, trying to comfort the dog. That’s when the intern felt something – a tiny bump. It turned out to be a tick!
While tick paralysis is a rare condition, it can happen. Dr. Adam Stone had learned about it, and all of Ollie’s symptoms exactly matched the condition. The tick was immediately removed, and Ollie’s owners were told to wait a few days.
The vet took precautions and shaved the rest of Ollie’s body in order to make sure there were no other ticks before they sent him home. Miraculously, within 10 hours Ollie was his same old self. His family was so happy!
They returned to the clinic with Ollie in order to show off his progress. And in the future, his parents will be taking extra precautions to make sure ticks are prevented in their future outdoor outings.
Thanks to that intern’s lucky find, plus the vet’s quick thinking, Ollie managed to avoid a close call.
For all those pet parents out there who like taking their dogs with them on camping trips and stuff let this story be a reminder to always keep an eye on your pets.
