Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ophthalmic issues in dogs and cats with tick paralysis
By Reynolds, B D et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2024·Eye Clinic for Animals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ophthalmic findings associated with Australian tick paralysis (holocyclotoxicity) in hospitalized domestic dogs and cats.
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs and cats hospitalized with tick paralysis showed eye problems, including corneal ulcers, which affected about one-third of the dogs and nearly half of the cats. The absence of a reflex that causes blinking was linked to a higher chance of these ulcers and was more common in pets with severe paralysis. Additionally, many of the animals had reduced tear production, which can worsen eye health. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring eye health in pets suffering from tick paralysis, as treatment for the paralysis can help improve their overall condition.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe ophthalmic findings in hospitalized canine and feline patients with tick paralysis (TP) and investigate possible predisposing factors. ANIMALS STUDIED: Forty-seven dogs and 28 cats hospitalized with TP assessed with an ophthalmic examination performed by an ABVO resident. METHODS: Dogs and cats were hospitalized with TP from October 2021 to January 2022 and had an ophthalmic examination performed by an ABVO resident. Patient signalment data, information regarding tick number and location, hospitalization duration, medications used, and patient paralysis grades were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate findings. RESULTS: Corneal ulcers developed in up to 34.8% of dogs and up to 42.9% of cats hospitalized with TP. An absent palpebral reflex ipsilaterally increased the odds of a concurrent corneal ulcer being present by 14.7× in dogs and 20.1× in cats (p < .0001). Palpebral reflexes were absent in 38.3% of dogs and 35.7% of cats hospitalized with TP and were correlated with more severe gait paralysis (p = .01) and respiratory paralysis (p = .005) in dogs, and respiratory paralysis in cats (p = .041). STT-1 findings <10 mm/min were present in 27.7% of dogs and 57.1% of cats examined and were associated with increasing gait paralysis (p = .017) and respiratory paralysis (p = .007) in dogs, and increasing gait paralysis in cats (p = .017). CONCLUSIONS: Simple corneal ulcers, loss of a complete palpebral reflex, and reduced STT-1 scores frequently occurred in dogs and cats hospitalized for TP. The frequency of these findings increased as the degree of patient paralysis increased.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38468143/