These pictures speak louder than words, as an account of what can happen when an animal in southwestern Manitoba is neglected in wood tick season.
Alicia Hoemsen of Elkhorn, founder of Strays That Can’t Pay (STCP) animal rescue, fills in the details about a dog who had collapsed. He was discovered by compassionate people as he lay, covered with ticks.
The dog was rushed to Virden Animal Hospital.
“This dog was surrendered to our care but died a couple of hours later. We were just too late to help him. He was named Gunner. His remainshave been sent in for a necropsy just to find out the exact cause of death.” Veterinarian, Carla Loewen, attended to Gunner, and confirmed that the dog had thousands of ticks.
This is not the only dog suffering due to wood ticks, she tells, “We have had two other dogs with suspected tick paralysis this year. One has been released from the clinic, the other has not.”
The one dog, still in care at the clinic, has tested positive for Lyme disease as well - a serious disease spread by deer ticks.
“This is our fourth dog to be confirmed positive for Lyme disease,” says Hoemsen. “We had two dogs with tick paralysis last year that survived, as well as two puppies that were severely anemic from ticks as well.
“Strays That Can’t Pay has started a campaign to raise funds for 500 tick collars for the dogs that we help at First Nation communities - and we arealmost there - as soon as they come
into the clinic we will be going out to the communities we work with to help distribute them.”
Hoemsen and STCP rescue is spreading awareness of the problem in order to save lives and cut down on vet bills. It is a problem that will land on her doorstep; she would like to prevent the suffering and the cost.
“These dogs are often surrendered due to the high vet costs in saving them.” To support the pet rescue effort, Danni Braybrook has put the challenge on Facebook, to raise funds for 500
collars.
As of Tuesday, May 12, Hoemsen reported that the rescue had received $2,739 from E-transfers, to go towards the cause.
“We also received tick collars donated to us in the mail,” she exclaims. Wood ticks were still being found last November, Hoemsen says and by March of this spring these parasites were out
again.
Concerned readers should check with a veterinarian to prevent a tick infestation in their own pets.
