Dogs out west and hazards to avoid...

rockhillmanor wrote:
All the above hazards were THE reason I decided not to head West when I went full time. AND when I read about Valley Fever, well, that clinched my reasons for not ever going there with my dogs.

Every state has it's pitfalls for pets. But when I added them all up the states in the West have far MORE than any other state for me and the pups. I stay east of the Mississippi!:C

I've lived in California my entire life and have had dogs (and other pets) the entire time. I've never had a dog (or any pet) get attacked by coyotes, bit by snakes, come down with any disease transmitted by mosquitos, fleas, ticks, etc.

General rule: don't let your dogs start sniffing around rocks, logs, etc. until you've checked it out first and verified there's no dangerous critters.

Simple solution: DO NOT use a flexi-leash - keep the dogs on a solid 6ft leash. This will give you more control over the dog and prevent him/her/them from rushing at something you don't yet see.

Make noise, walk slow. Snakes, etc. will get out of your way if you give them the opportunity. If your dog sticks its nose under a log and a snake is hiding there, it will defend itself. If you're walking your dog on the leash (and the dog is right with you) and a snake is a few yards away, it will slither away before you and the dog reach it. Think how you'd handle the situation with a small child - you wouldn't let them wander 8-12 feet ahead of you, sticking its face into crevices, etc. Don't let your dog do that either.

In case of emergency, it wouldn't hurt to identify the closest all-night emergency vet in the area and have it programmed into your GPS and/or phone. You don't want to be searching for one AFTER the dog gets bit.

All the above hazards were THE reason I decided not to head West when I went full time. AND when I read about Valley Fever, well, that clinched my reasons for not ever going there with my dogs.

Every state has it's pitfalls for pets. But when I added them all up the states in the West have far MORE than any other state for me and the pups. I stay east of the Mississippi!:C

You didn't mention what kind of dogs?? In our area--So. Calif.-- coyotes are a very real threat to smaller dogs. We have a place in Orange County and Lake Arrowhead and coyotes are definitely around and they will go after a smaller dog--even if leashed being held by an adult. We carry a small but loud air horn--they don't like the piercing noise.

Don't forget the dangers posed by plants, especially cholla cactus. Prickly pieces of cholla on the ground cause trouble for dogs and people alike.

Do check with your vet to get a recommendation for tick protection for your dog. A couple months after a trip to Colorado mountains, our Golden came down with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, typically transmitted by ticks. We had no clue our Golden had it until I was sitting on the floor and she tripped over my outstretched legs. Quickly realized she could not see. Animal ophthalmologist confirmed she could not see and immediately suspected the fever and started treatment immediately to halt any further damage. Blood test confirmed the fever the next day. Vision soon began to return and, as best we could tell, eventually returned to normal.

Don't know if she was totally blind (she did trip over my legs as though she could not see them) or just severely limited, or for how long, but she moved around the house as though nothing was wrong.

She was never off leash while in the mountains.

I have noticed warning signs out on I-10 (IIRC) at rest stops that said to watch your pets since there were poisonous insects, scorpions.
bumpy

Other than rattle snakes and black widow spiders most of the other critters won't kill the dog. Keep him on leash and don't let him jump or step over rock or logs. Use the same precautions as you would to protect yourself. You can also train dogs to avoid snakes, but it seems like you can't train terriers to not go after them. Consider treating him with flea and tick repellant, heartworm medication, etc. same as if you were at home. If you don't turn over logs and rocks it's unlikely that you'll even see any of these critters. They're mostly nocturnal. We're lucky to see more than one or two snakes per year, and they're usually bull snakes.

If you're in an area with coyotes, don't tie them up unattended or they 're likely to be eaten. Happens often in our area.

We've spent many years camping in the deserts of California, Nevada & Arizona with our dogs. I never let them off of the leash. I was taught from an early age to always be careful when turning over a log, rock or anything that's been on the ground. Because the dogs were obedience trained, they always stayed close to our side when hiking.

The only times we have run into snakes or scorpions was when the dogs weren't with us. which is just a coincidence.

The dogs did end up with ticks one time.

Keep your dogs close when hiking, don't let them run loose and they will be fine.

I was pondering the same thing - not so much while walking, but my dog and I both prefer he sleep outside while camping. At 160 lbs I'm not worried about predators challenging him, but creepy crawlies, maybe? His coat is three layers and super thick, the only vulnerable spots are the pads of his feet and his nose / ears.

He survived sleeping outdoors all over Canada and Alaska last summer, but not many creepy crawlies in those parts.