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While for some pet owners, pet health insurance is a whim, for others it is a necessity. Yet, given the fact that millions of Americans don’t manage to get a real health insurance, it feels difficult to cover it for pets. Nevertheless, anyone who has a pet knows that lots of money go into disease prevention by vaccination and periodical checkups.

Things have changed a lot in the industry ever since the costs of pet health insurance have stopped being so prohibitive. People can now choose various types of pet health insurance covering disease control and treatment, preventive care, emergency interventions and even surgery. The system for pet health insurance resembles human policies: there are annual premiums, coverage plans and deductibles.

With some pet health insurance there are age limits both for puppies and older pets. Some have a 8 year limit while others can extend up to 27 years of age. The pet may get coverage after the age of 8 if the animal has had an insurance prior to this age. Animals with terminal diseases and current conditions may not be acceptable for pet health insurance. Some companies provide coverage if the pet’s condition is stable or controlled, usually following a waiting period between 3 months and a year.

Choose the pet health insurance that best corresponds to your pet and the specificity of the species. It is based on such considerations as well as on the package content that the yearly or monthly premiums are designed. From the services covered by a regular policy we ought to mention vaccinations, preventive medication, annual checkups, routine care procedures and even spray surgeries. Illness and accidents can also be covered by pet health insurance. There is no waiting period for the coverage in accident claims.

The alternative to getting a pet health insurance is to take the animal to a humanitarian association or non-profit organization that provide free health checkups and emergency treatments. You can make 25% savings on veterinarian services if you work with programs like Pet Assure. They also provide other pet services and supplies for which you can even get a 50% discount. Check with them too!

Simply put, tick paralysis is a paralysis in animals caused by a tick, especially certain female tick breeds, which secrete a toxin which affects the nervous system of mammals. What happens, is that a tick bite can produce a flaccid paralysis, which leaves your dog with no muscular tone, feeling weak. Some mammals are not affected by tick bites, such as cats, as they seem to be immune to it, and likewise, not all breeds of dogs are effected, and even some animals only experience some side effects in their hind limbs.

However, while some animals are not quite as affected by tick bites as others, some pets may fall into an extremely critical condition which can ascend up the entire body and affect their respiratory system and front limbs. Thus, it is very important to be able to recognize and distinguish tick paralysis so that the symptoms and be put under control before things get out of hand.

Read on to find out how you effectively get rid of the affects of a tick bite.

Warning Signs

The normal time for symptoms to being showing is anywhere from five to seven days, but keep in mind that one tick bite can take a lot longer to show, as multiple tick bites will show paralysis sooner. The problem is, however, that since dogs are so furry, it can be hard to even notice a tick in the first place, as they can burrow themselves to the base of the skin, but the very first signs are weakness and in coordination in the hind legs. Your dog will not have a fever or other regular illness symptoms, but you may also notice that he/she will have difficulty chewing, swallowing, and breathing.

Since death can occur within hours from respiratory failure, because of the muscle paralysis caused, it is absolutely critical that you check for these signs.

Diagnosing for Paralysis

Most often, paralysis is diagnosed based on the symptoms, and also if your dog has a rapidly worsening condition.

Being able to diagnose your dog can also depend on the time of year, and where you live, as ticks are more predominant during certain seasons, but regardless of what season it is, a small tick can still infect your dog, which is why you should get the tick(s) removed. Since the diagnosis relies a lot on the early signs of paralysis, you should also regularly check your dog for ticks, especially if you notice his/her behavior change, or if you are often outdoors in regions where there are ticks.

Treatment for Tick Paralysis

The cure for the problem is simple, as all you have to do is remove and and all ticks on your dog. This may be difficult if your dog often has a lot of fur, which means you may have to literally shave your dog to find the tick(s), before they cause serious damage to your dog.

Upon removal of any and all ticks, your dog may require future care from a veterinarian or may require some supportive care, such as artificial respiration.

You may also want to consider an antitoxin to be administered to your dog, so that your dog can cure faster.