Paralysis Ticks and Snakes: A Gold Coast Dog Owner's Guide
The short answer
On the Gold Coast, paralysis ticks and snakes are the two local hazards that can turn a normal walk into an emergency. Check your dog for ticks every day by feel, starting at the head and neck. If you see wobbly back legs, a change in bark, retching or laboured breathing, or you think a snake has bitten your dog, go straight to a vet. This guide covers what to look for, where ticks hide, what the experts say to do first, and where the 24-hour hospitals are.
We're groomers, not vets. Everything below comes from vet hospitals, the RSPCA, The University of Queensland and government pages, checked 13/10/2026. It's general information, and your vet is the authority on your dog.
Paralysis ticks on the Gold Coast
What the paralysis tick is
The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, causes tick paralysis in dogs and cats. The RSPCA says it is generally found along Australia's eastern seaboard, from North Queensland down to Victoria, and SASH describes its home as bushy coastal areas. Dogs Queensland notes ticks often reach suburban yards on native wildlife, or on your dog after a bush walk.
It's serious. The University of Queensland reported around 5,000 tick-related vet visits in eastern Australia in 2024, with 1 in 10 of those pets dying.
When the risk is highest
There's no safe month to stop checking. The RSPCA says paralysis ticks may be found all year round in the north and that the season can start earlier and end later than expected. SASH says the high-risk period runs through spring and autumn, with cases reported in winter too, and UQ research links a season's severity to the previous summer's weather. On the Gold Coast, treat ticks as a year-round job.
Signs of tick paralysis
The vet hospitals and the RSPCA list these signs:
- Wobbliness or weakness in the back legs, often the first thing owners notice
- A change in the sound of the bark, such as softer or a different pitch
- Retching, coughing, vomiting or regurgitating
- Laboured, noisy or rapid breathing, including grunting
- Excessive drooling
- Weakness that spreads to the front legs, collapse or being unable to get up
SASH treats any sign of tick paralysis as an emergency. SASH and the RSPCA both say not to give food or water, as an affected dog may not swallow safely.
How to check your dog for ticks every day
The RSPCA recommends a thorough search at least once a day, even if your dog is on tick control. Use your fingertips, not your eyes. Ticks and tick craters feel like small lumps on the skin, and Animal Emergency Service warns they can be hard to find even on short coats.
Start at the front and work back, walking your fingers through the coat at skin level. A 2025 UQ study of more than 10,000 cases from vet hospitals in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Sydney's northern beaches found ticks on the head, neck or ears in 73 per cent of dogs. So begin there, then keep going.
Where ticks hide
- Face, lips and around the eyes
- Inside and outside the ear flaps
- Neck, with the collar taken off
- Between every toe
- Under the armpits and in all skin folds
- Groin, around the tail and bottom, and down the back legs
After a bushy outing, Animal Emergency Service suggests daily searches for at least a week. Keep going after you find one tick, as the RSPCA notes some dogs carry several.
What to do if you find a tick
This is the RSPCA's removal advice. Read their full RSPCA tick paralysis guide before you need it.
- Remove the tick straight away, wearing disposable gloves if you have them.
- Don't squeeze or disturb the tick's body.
- Aim to remove it by the head, at the point where it enters the skin. A tick remover, a fork-like tool that slides either side of the tick without touching the body, is designed for this.
- Pop the tick in a sealed container or zip-lock bag with some alcohol to kill it.
- Dab the spot with a mild antiseptic.
- Keep your dog calm and quiet, and keep searching for more ticks.
SASH adds: don't burn the tick, and don't apply tick treatments or alcohol while it's still attached. If removal is too difficult, see a vet immediately. Their SASH tick paralysis advice covers this in more detail.
Then see a vet, even if your dog seems fine. The RSPCA calls tick paralysis life threatening and says to get to a vet as soon as possible. Animal Emergency Service says signs can worsen for up to three days after removal, and suggests taking the tick with you for identification. UQ's researchers say every hour may be critical.
Prevention starts with your vet
Tick prevention is a conversation to have with your vet, who can recommend what suits your dog's age, size, health and lifestyle. SASH notes that no product is 100 per cent effective, which is why the daily check still matters. The RSPCA also warns never to use dog tick products on cats, as some are highly toxic to them.
The RSPCA and Animal Emergency Service also suggest keeping lawns mowed, clearing leaf litter and avoiding bushy areas in tick season, and UQ recommends leads and marked paths in tick-prone spots. If you're heading out on one of our dog-friendly walks around the Gold Coast, build the tick check into the drive home.
Snakes on the Gold Coast
The City of Gold Coast's fauna list records snakes including the eastern brown, red-bellied black, eastern tiger, yellow-faced whipsnake, carpet python and green tree snake. The Queensland Government describes the eastern brown as highly venomous and the red-bellied black and eastern tiger as venomous.
The RSPCA says snakes become more active as the weather warms up, and Animal Emergency Service points to spring and summer. Council's advice if you meet one: don't panic, back away to a safe distance and let the snake move off. It's an offence to kill or injure a snake, and for one on private property council says to hire a qualified snake catcher. See the City of Gold Coast wildlife page.
Signs of snake bite
Animal Emergency Service notes a bite may be hidden under the coat, and that a dog may not show obvious signs for up to 24 hours. Signs listed by the RSPCA and Animal Emergency Service include:
- Sudden weakness and collapse, sometimes followed by what looks like recovery
- Shaking or muscle twitching and reduced blinking
- Dilated pupils
- Sudden wobbliness, or paralysis
- Bleeding from the nose, mouth or bite site
- Dark or bloody urine, or loss of bladder and bowel control
First steps if you suspect a bite
From the RSPCA snake bite advice and Animal Emergency Service's snake bite guide:
- Keep your dog calm, quiet and as still as possible.
- If you know where the bite is, apply a firm bandage above, over and below it.
- If the bite is on the face or neck, take the collar off in case of swelling.
- Don't wash the wound, don't apply a tourniquet and don't try to suck out venom.
- Don't try to catch, kill or touch the snake, even if it looks dead.
- Call the vet on the way so they're ready for you.
Why you go straight to an emergency vet
Animal Emergency Service calls snake bite one of the top veterinary emergencies, and the RSPCA says recovery chances are much greater with early treatment. Not every clinic stocks antivenom, so ring ahead.
On the Gold Coast, SASH Gold Coast at Robina and AEC Gold Coast at Varsity Lakes are open 24 hours, every day, and AEC says it stocks snake antivenom and tick antiserum on site. Animal Emergency Service at Carrara is open overnight on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and public holidays. Addresses and details are in our Gold Coast vets guide. Save one in your phone today.
Where grooming fits in
Groomers have their hands through every part of a coat, so a tick sometimes turns up during a groom. Handy, but never a replacement for your daily check.
For long-coated dogs, a shorter summer clip can make those checks quicker and easier. SASH and Animal Emergency Service both say a short coat makes ticks easier to find. One big exception: double-coated breeds shouldn't be shaved, and our guide to shaving double-coated dogs in a Gold Coast summer explains why. Our seasonal dog grooming guide and how often to groom on the Gold Coast cover the rest, and you can see our dog grooming services anytime.
FAQs
When is paralysis tick season on the Gold Coast?
Vets say ticks can turn up year-round in Queensland, with the high-risk period through spring and into autumn and cases reported in winter. Check your dog every day, all year.
Should I see a vet if I've already removed the tick?
Yes. The RSPCA and emergency vets say to see a vet as soon as possible, because signs can develop or worsen after the tick is gone.
Which Gold Coast vets are open 24 hours?
SASH Gold Coast at Robina and AEC Gold Coast at Varsity Lakes. Animal Emergency Service at Carrara is open weekday nights and 24 hours on weekends and public holidays. Ring ahead on the way.
Long coat making tick checks tricky?
Book a groom at our Miami studio and keep that coat easy to check.
Book a groomSources last checked October 2026. This is general information, not veterinary advice. Your vet is the authority on your dog's health.
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Barry
Robina
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