Fleas/ticks at the Fort?

[Disneefun]

We're taking our dog to FW in May and I'm wondering what the chances of her coming home infested with fleas are. We went in Jan., but it was cooler then so I wasn't as worried. May will be hotter w/more active bugs. We work very hard at home to keep the yard pest free so she's never had a problem before. I'm afraid with the warmer weather she may come home infested. She does wear Advantage and we comb her regularly, so I guess that'll help but with all that "wilderness" I'm just worried. Any experiences? Thanks.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Knock on wood, Mickey the flea/tick magnet beagle has not carried any pests home from FW. We do, however, apply a flea/tick repellant prior to arriving at FW - not sure of the brand, we get it from the vet and it is applied between his shoulder blades. Maybe Frontline?

 

[wdwbound]

Knock on wood...no fleas after taking our dog (Old English Sheepdog, VERY HAIRY) numerous times.
We do the flea stuff between the shoulder blades also and so far no complaints!

Nancy

 

[FloridaTeacher]

We also take our dogs and have had no major problems. We also do the flea/tick maintenence between the shoulder blades, since we live in Florida we couldn't do without that.

I will say this - it is Florida, so check for ticks. We check for ticks each evening after the dogs have been walked several times. Disney does a great job keeping the dog walks nice and clean and we haven't gotten any while there. We have, however, found ticks on our pups after staying at other Florida campgrounds. Florida is, afterall, insect heaven.

Happy Camping.
57 days 20 hours and 3 minutes til we're back at the Fort and Star Wars Weekend.

 

[LMC]

Maybe you can get a flea pill called Capstar (kills fleas w/in 24 hrs)from the vet to give the dog at the end of your trip if a flea infestation is setting in. Just use the frontline or other quality product to help prevent the infestations on the front end.

 

[swillis]

I am a vet tech, and here's what I would tell you if you were one of my clients.

If you buy the Advantix (not Advantage) through a veterinary clinic, it is 100% guaranteed by Bayer to repel ticks and mosquitos and kill all stages of the flea life cycle.

I would start applying it monthly now. Make sure you part the fur and apply the product directly to the skin. In larger dogs you can apply it down the spine.

If you plan to bathe your dog it's best to do so either 2 days before or 2 days after an application, as the skin does need to be a little oily to absorb the product. It is waterproof however.

You do not need to, nor should you use any other product on your dog. No collars, pills, sprays etc.

That being said, you may find a tick walking on your dogs fur from time to time, but it will not be able to attach or bite, and therefore unlikely to transmit disease.

Keep in mind that these pests (fleas, ticks and mosquitos) love the warmth and hunidity of Florida. Your pet should be fine if you keep up the Advantic during your trip.

One last bit of advice...consider microchipping your dog if you haven't already done so. It's the only way to permanetly identify your dog as belonging to you if he/she should get lost.

 

[cakesnkids]

Our vet told us not to use Advantix if we have cats.....b/c it can kill cats...is this something you have also heard? I was a vet tec for YEARS but Advantix came out afterwards and I'm rusty. I'm assuming it's the permetherin that is a problem...

 

[swillis]

That is true that you can't use it on cats. But even in a household with cats and dogs it's perfectly safe to use. If your cats like to "groom" your dogs you should keep them separated for a day or so. Just until the product dries. It's really very safe. I use it on my own dog and I have 2 cats. If you're still worried, or your cats especially "love" your dogs, then you could use Frontline instead.