We are taking our new puppy, need advice

[anditoo72]

We are going to Fort Wilderness in with our motor home November from 22- December 1st. We just got a new puppy recently, what is allowed and reccomended. Can I leave my puppy in our air conditioned motor home or do I put him at the kennel during the day. I have this thing about kennels, and it is my own problem, I know that. We had a dog get kennel cough from one once and it was really bad. I am sure that Disney has beautiful kennels and they are on top of these things (we thought the one we used was too!!) I just hate to take a chance. BUT I wasn't sure of the rules and what you all thought of the situation. Do I have to request to be on a dog loop? I have my reservation in already- do I need to call and change it? Thanks for everyones input ahead of time. Andie

 

[ktmdad450]

Yes you can leave your pup in your camper. We did in March. Make sure you are staying in one of the pet loops. Dogs aren't allowed anywhere else. And I mean anywhere. They can only stay in the pet loops.

 

[goofyrabbit]

We took our golden retriever when he was 4 months old. You do have to request a pet loop. They charge you an extra fee, I think it is $5. Some have certain dog paths for them to go to the bathroom. They also have little wooden posts along those paths that have doggy bags to pick up waste. We brought our dog crate and set it up in the motorhome while we were at the park because we didn't want him to chew on anything in the motorhome. than we bought 2 fold up gate's at Petco that you can set up outside so he dosen't need to be tied up. We also use the gates at home. He did really well.

 

[swillis]

I am a certified veterinary technician, so I'm going to put in a word of advice...until your puppy has had all of his vaccinations he is not immune to any diseases or viruses that he could easily pick up from the ground where countless other dogs have urinated and defacated.

Puppies need a distemper combination booster every 3-4 weeks until they are about 16 weeks of age. They need a rabies vaccine around 12 weeks. They should also have a kennel cough vaccine if your puppy will be around any other dogs.

You should have your dog on a monthly heartworm tablet and monthly flea and tick product.

I don't know how old your puppy is, but unless he is about 16 weeks old and well vaccinated, I would leave him at home with a trusted family member.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Puppies also have tiny bladders and generally need to go out more frequently. My other concern with leaving our beagle in the camper is a power failure. I know a lot of people have a problem with kenneling a dog (some have accused me of putting him in prison), but at least he is not alone if there is a problem, and if there is a power failure he isn't stuck alone in my camper as the temperature goes up in the Florida sun. Any dog that is being kenneled should be vaccinated for kennel cough. Ours is and he has not gotten kennel cough from the FW kennels yet (knock on wood) and he has stayed there for the past 8 years.

I would echo the concerns of swillis re. picking up diseases from other dogs - you will be walking your dog where other, perhaps inadequately vaccinated dogs, have been. With a puppy's immature immune system, this may not be the best idea. Despite FW's requirements for vaccination of dogs regardless of whether they stay at the kennel or in your RV, I have yet to be required to show a health certificate at check in and I would bet that not all of the animals in the pet loops are up to date on vaccinations. You are, however, required to show a health certificate when checking in at the kennels, and I saw the staff get VERY upset once when a CM checked in a dog after hours without a vaccination record - dog was put into quarantine and owners were contacted to either come up with the vaccination record or remove their dog.

 

[anditoo72]

Our puppy is 5 months old now and we won't be going until November he will be almost a year old then (wow time flies), so I shouldn't have to worry that part. Although they are very good points I wouldn't have thought about it. I did think about the power outage point.

 

[tim5055]

As has been pointed out, have your reservation noted for a pet loop. You have been great advice regarding pet meds, here is the requirements from FW even if you are not using the kennel:

For the safety of your pet and others, it is required that dogs be current on their required vaccinations which include:


* Rabies
* Parvovirus
* Distemper
* Hepatitis
* Parainfluenza
* Bordetella (kennel cough)

Many vets list some of these on their records as DHP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza) or DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)

Another thing I discovered last year is that Florida law requires that you possess a USDA certificate of health (issued by a vet) for all pets traveling into the state.

Now, before everyone jumps on me, I understand that it is rarely (if ever) enforced. I have traveled into Florida lots of times with Natasha, and while we always carry her vaccination records, we have never carried the USDA form.

From the Florida Department of Agriculture web site FAQ:

What do I need to have in order to bring my dog or cat to Florida from another State?
The pet will have to have:
# an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health certificate)and,
# documentation of current rabies vaccination.

What is a health certificate?
It is an official state health form completed by a veterinarian who examines and determines that your pet:
# is free of infectious and communicable diseases;
# did not come from an area that is under quarantine for rabies, and
# has not been exposed to a rabid animal.
# It should also include documentation that your dog or cat is current on its rabies vaccination if the pet is 3 months of age or older.

Besides an official certificate of veterinary inspection, do I need to have a certificate of rabies vaccination also?
National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) Form #51, Rabies Vaccination Certificate (or state equivalent), is normally provided by the veterinarian at the time of vaccination, and can be used as proof of vaccination when traveling. At a minimum, the official certificate of veterinary inspection (health certificate) must show the same information that comes from the NASPHV Form #51, Rabies Vaccination Certificate, to include the manufacturer, vaccine type, lot/serial number, and expiration date.

My pet had a health certificate when I purchased it last year; can I use that same one?
No, a health certificate is only valid for 30 days after the date the veterinarian signs it.

Thinking that this must only apply to commercial transporters, not folks on vacation I sent an e-mail to the Dept of Agriculture questioning if this was applicable to tourists. The reply was, yes it applies to everone bringing a pet into the state.

Now, I have never seen this enforced, but Florida is known for doing strange things at times.

If you would like to read the FAQ yourself, HERE IT IS.