Any dog tips for camping?

[Yoyo]

Hey guys,
We just got a new puppy, a golden retriever. We're planning on bringing her up to Mammoth at the end of June. Are there any suggestions/tips you guys could give me on bringing a dog camping for the first time? Not sure if she's too young (8 weeks old right now, so she'll be about 12 when we go) but we're planning on using a flea collar, are the ticks very abundant? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Jon

[retired96]

The biggest problem I have had is ticks, I camp in Rock Creek and my retriever would come home with 5-10 ticks on him. With a long haired dog they can be a chore to find.

[Flying]

Keep them away from the Deer crap. They think that stuff is doggie perfume and will roll around in it.:LOL:

[tunafisherman]

Most of the ticks you will find is along the edge of the water were its a little muddy. See if you can find a tick repelant for dogs. Your dog may be to young for the repelant. Could be fun for a pup up there but keep an eye on him/her remember coyotes and bears up there. Good luck.

[SeaSick17]

Take your puppy to the vet and there is a shot that they can give her for lime disease. Besides that keep her on a leash in the campgrounds and pick up after her. We take our 2 labs pups camping in Bishop all the time. They love the water and have not been a problem
Good luck

[matt duarte]

my buddy has his lab with him this past weekend...didnt have a problem with ticks...make sure you keep him on a leash around the camp ground... i dont know how much your dog likes water but our buddys dog jumped straight into the creek with out thinking..good thing the dog had a leash on cause the water was runnin fast.....other then that we didnt have any problems...dog loved the snow

[goodguy]

Hey guys,
We just got a new puppy, a golden retriever. We're planning on bringing her up to Mammoth at the end of June. Are there any suggestions/tips you guys could give me on bringing a dog camping for the first time? Not sure if she's too young (8 weeks old right now, so she'll be about 12 when we go) but we're planning on using a flea collar, are the ticks very abundant? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Jon

She is absolutely too young! You're really no supposed to take your puppy out of the house even until they have had all their series puppy shots. If you do you are taking a HUGE chance of them picking up a serious sickness... I would STRONGLY urge you to wait until at least the end of the summer!!! But 6 months is the ideal number buddy... You really run a high risk of them getting really sick. If you love you dog don't do it man...

[labjet2000]

Goodguy is correct... I thiink it is actually four months when the final series of puppy shots is complete. If you've been going to a vet, I can't believe they haven't warned you of the dangers.

Prior to its final battery of innoculations, your pup is susceptable to parvo, bortadella (kennel cough), rabies and other possibly fatal infections. Don't risk it. Just delay your trip to the wild and even the public.

BTW, if you are going near water where mosquitoes are common, heartworm is a threat. Use Heartguard or such to protect from this parasite and consider Frontline for flea and tick protection. Frontline is what we use for our lab.

Be safe and not sorry.

[brn2fis]

Please keep her on a leash. A few years ago I was at Silver Lake in the June Lake loop and a guy took his young dog over to Rush Creek which at the time was running strong. He let her go into the creek and she got sweep under. Sad story but true.

[goodguy]

Goodguy is correct... I thiink it is actually four months when the final series of puppy shots is complete. If you've been going to a vet, I can't believe they haven't warned you of the dangers.

Prior to its final battery of innoculations, your pup is susceptable to parvo, bortadella (kennel cough), rabies and other possibly fatal infections. Don't risk it. Just delay your trip to the wild and even the public.

BTW, if you are going near water where mosquitoes are common, heartworm is a threat. Use Heartguard or such to protect from this parasite and consider Frontline for flea and tick protection. Frontline is what we use for our lab.

Be safe and not sorry.


Yes, good post labjet... Add DHP/distemper to the list of the possible infections/diseases.... I too am shocked that your vet hasn't warned you that you shouldn't even be taking your dog to a park (or any other public area) before they are at least 4 months (I thought it was 6 but I could be wrong). These infections are incredibly contagious and seriously lethal in most cases or at the very least permanently damaging to your dog. WHEN she is fully innoculated I recomend frontline plus instead of a flea collar. Might be more expensive but it will work like no other. I also have always used it and have never had a flea.
You'll have years of fun and camping/fishing trips in years to come if you do the right thing right now...

[Yoyo]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. We just got the puppy 2 days ago and we're going to go and see the vet in the next couple of days. From the sounds of it, looks like we're going to have to postpone our trip. Again, thanks for the input.

Jon

[matt duarte]

i bet your dog will be fine...i mean people live up there and have puppys right... your dog will be fine..like i said my buddys dog was perfectly fine out there and had no ticks... just watch your dog..dont let it wonder off and it will be fine just check him every night just in case....

if i had a puppy id defently take him out there.. it was fun watchin my buddys dog jump into a pile of snow and dissapear lol.. dont worrie and just have fun..

[jim532]

If you just got the puppy then I assume he hasn't even been started on the Innculations yet. Yes there are people who live up there and have had puppies but they had to go through a series of innoculations over time as well. (if they had good owners).

Don't delay your trip, get a babysitter for the weekend.

[txcurry]

The problem with a puppy isn't so much the shots but the fact that she's too young for a tick collar and, depending on her age, you really don't want to stress one that young with frontline or advantage. I hate pulling ticks off puppies, they're kinda like kids and one hates to see them go through stuff like that. A grown dog isn't so bad, I do mine all the time, but the puppies, I don't like it but I'll do it if I have to. Heartworm is a big problem here, I wasn't aware of it being a problem in the Eastern Sierras. If it is a problem, it's one more reason to leave the little girl in the care of a trusted friend for the weekend. I don't know if I'd want to treat one that young for heartworm. At the very least I think you should talk to your vet about all these issues.

[mammothfishin]

There are no fleas or ticks in Mammoth. Yes they are found in other spots of the Sierra but not in Mammoth or the Lakes Basin.

[goodguy]

i bet your dog will be fine...i mean people live up there and have puppys right... your dog will be fine..like i said my buddys dog was perfectly fine out there and had no ticks... just watch your dog..dont let it wonder off and it will be fine just check him every night just in case....

if i had a puppy id defently take him out there.. it was fun watchin my buddys dog jump into a pile of snow and dissapear lol.. dont worrie and just have fun..

Yes people do raise dogs/puppies up there. And I'm sure their vets recomend them not to take their dogs out of their house until they are fully vaccinated just like vets do all across the country.
The thing is anywhere you live your puppy shouldn't leave your property until it is fully vaccinated... Parvo and DHP can be picked up just by sniffing the ground near where another dog that had it did their business... These are killers for sure. Ever seen a puppy puke and crap blood and then either become permanently crippled or die? This happens very quickly with these diseases...

[Yoyo]

Just thought I'd relay what our vet told us. She said she wouldn't worry too much about bringing our puppy up there. She didn't seem worried at all by it actually. All of your guys' concerns have made us a bit cautious. I think we're going to get another vet's opionion before we make our final plans. The only places our vet was worried about were places known to have lots and lots of dogs ie. dog parks, dog beaches. We were told exactly what Goodguy is saying, not to let our puppy anywhere near where other dogs go because you have no idea what vaccinations other dogs have. I mean we were trying to potty train Zoe on our porch, which was a little hard.
How common are these diseases such as Parvo? Do a lot of dogs have it and not know it? The way everyone talks about it, it sounds like 1 in 10 dogs have it. The vet also said just use Advantage for the fleas and mosquitos and check daily for ticks.
So we'll see... thanks again for all the advice

Jon

[goodguy]

Just thought I'd relay what our vet told us. She said she wouldn't worry too much about bringing our puppy up there. She didn't seem worried at all by it actually. All of your guys' concerns have made us a bit cautious. I think we're going to get another vet's opionion before we make our final plans. The only places our vet was worried about were places known to have lots and lots of dogs ie. dog parks, dog beaches. We were told exactly what Goodguy is saying, not to let our puppy anywhere near where other dogs go because you have no idea what vaccinations other dogs have. I mean we were trying to potty train Zoe on our porch, which was a little hard.
How common are these diseases such as Parvo? Do a lot of dogs have it and not know it? The way everyone talks about it, it sounds like 1 in 10 dogs have it. The vet also said just use Advantage for the fleas and mosquitos and check daily for ticks.
So we'll see... thanks again for all the advice

Jon

I'm no vet... But I'd imagine the parvo etc. is not all that comon as most people take care of the vaccination thing. But if they do come in contact with a dog that has it, it's almost a death sentence... Good luck

[BrownTrout]

you would probably be fine at your campsite, but that would be a pretty crappy camping trip to just sit in your site and play with the pup. you wouldnt be able to venture out anywhere other dogs are/were. not too many dogs carry disease, but some do and it isnt worth the risk. goodguy is correct about parvo, watching a pup die in front of your eyes by bleeding rectally is no fun. i would just get a pup sitter, or wait.

[Sparky70]

Leave the dog at home..........:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:

[OCGeezer]

Leave the dog at home..........:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:

what he said!!! :Rolls Eyes:

[Granny Fish]

I worked for a vet for 6 years and have seen it plenty of times that a puppy died from Parvo because the owners were unaware of how serious it is and how common. Parvo is very contagious and potentially deadly to puppies, causing sever diareah, loss of appitite and vomiting. Puppies that get it, get severly dehydrated and often die. Don't take your puppy in public areas until it has at least finished its shots. The virus lives for a long time on surface areas so your puppy does not need to be in contact with another dog to get it.

http://www.2ndchance.info/parvo.htm

[crfdvm]

Being that I have been in the veterinary business for 17 years and a practicing emergency vet for the last 9 years, I felt it my responsibility to post a reply to this topic, as public education is a primary responsibility of the profession. As for the original post. The primary concern of taking a young puppy into public areas (meaning any area outside of your own home and yard) is that you don't know what other dogs have been in that area. The primary concern is parvovirus, which has been previously discussed. Parvo is a debilitating virus of young dogs. It affects primarily their gastrointestinal tract by destroying the replicating cells that line the intestinal walls. This leads to severe vomiting and diarrhea, introduction of bacterial infection, and subsequent dehydration. This can and often leads to death. Average treatment costs can run in the thousands of dollars with between a 65-75% avg survival rate. Dogs under the age of 1 year are very susceptible. It is very important that puppies reveive a full course of vaccinations prior to exposure to any unknown areas. The problem with parvovirus is that it an extremely hardy and strong virus that can survive in the soil for many years. It is passed in the feces and vomitus of other animals that carry the virus. Bleach is one of the few things that can kill parvo. Other concerns not related to puppies only are external parasites, mainly fleas and ticks. Frontline plus is suitable for puppies over 8 weeks of age and protects from fleas and ticks. Flea and tick collars have been proven to be have less than optimal efficacy in the prevention of flea and tick infestation. Lymes disease is passed from ticks to dogs and can be a very serious disease. It is rare that I recommend vaccinations for Lymes disease as it's efficacy is not completely confirmed and it does have a higher propensity for reactions to it. I only recommend Lymes vaccine as a second defense for dogs that are already currently on Frontline Plus but still get alot of ticks. Frontline kills and removes ticks within 18 hours of contact. It usually requires that a tick is attached to a dog for 24-36 hours to transmit the spirochete bacteria that causes Lymes disease. Giardia is also something that dogs can get especially in the mountain areas. It is a parasite usually found in standing water, that causes GI signs of vomiting and diarrhea. It is passed in the feces of affected animals - many wild animals are carriers of this. While many adult healthy animals can fight this off with their immune systems, many young puppies do not have adequate immune systems and can have pretty serious illness. I hope this information has been helpful to those of you with questions.

Tight Lines

[screaming_spool]

your lab is way to young. wait till a minimum 4 months.

Flee collars do more harm than good. Look into frontline .

I know it sucks that you cant take your dog this season but trust me it will be worth it

[BIGRED KILLA]

She is absolutely too young! You're really no supposed to take your puppy out of the house even until they have had all their series puppy shots. If you do you are taking a HUGE chance of them picking up a serious sickness... I would STRONGLY urge you to wait until at least the end of the summer!!! But 6 months is the ideal number buddy... You really run a high risk of them getting really sick. If you love you dog don't do it man...

X2


Bigred

[Yoyo]

Hi,
Just wanted to say thanks to all who volunteered their advice. After quite a bit of thinking, we've decided to keep our puppy at home. Hard as it is, we're doing the safest thing. Fortunately, my wife's idea of a vacation is reading by the river while I fish. So she's going to stay home, read and puppysit while my uncle, my brother and I go off to have fun!!! Maybe by the end of summer, we'll be able to bring her up to the Sierra's and introduce her to the great outdoors. Thanks again.

Jon

[Sparky70]

Very SMART of U to leave wiffie and dog at home!

[Skyler]

Very SMART of U to leave wiffie and dog at home!

Ha ha ha ha! Especially the first one!!!