With such a mild winter all pet owners should be alert to the risk of ticks making their presence felt sooner rather than later in the season. Paralysis ticks normally emerge during the spring and summer months, but with this winter delivering the warmest temperatures on record, the breeding season for ticks is likely to be well underway.

The best prevention is to search your pet by running your fingers through their coats every day – in particular if you live in a tick prone area. Symptoms to watch out for include vomiting, wobbliness in the back legs, loss of appetite, difficulty in breathing and a change in the animals bard or meow. Tick paralysis can be fatal – in fact the mortality rate is about 5%. Early detection is the key – that enables treatment. So if you suspect there’s tick, even if you can’t find it, get your pet to the vet without delay.