Often, a newly orphaned wombat will be host to a number of ticks. This is especially evident in young wombats around 1.5kgs plus. At this size they would be starting to leave the pouch and of course the older the wombat the more likelihood of ticks. An orphan that has spent a few days on it’s own in the bush is likely to be infested with bush ticks. If left untreated these can cause problems in young wombats where they can quickly get out of control.
- Treat with Frontline or Cydectin if the infestation is bad. Alternately remove the ticks by hand, I find a newly orphaned wombat is soothed by the grooming technique and quickly settles.
- Wombats can be sprayed with Permoxin, (an insecticidal spray and rinse concentrate for dogs & horses) available at vets.
This needs to be diluted and rubbed through the coat and is a much cheaper alternative and very effective.
Most adult wombats will have some ticks and they seem to cope ok. It is only when there is a large infestation that problems can occur. This is more likely to be the case if the wombat is unwell.