posted
what is the best way to protect a dog from the threat of lymes disease? also, would having an inside dog be safe? what is a good inside dog to have? is it bad to keep a dog outside at all times?
any info given is greatly appreciated, i jus lost my dog and i wanna get another but the rents' are convinced and woried our next dog will die from lymes disease too(oh and i live on the east coast too)
posted
can you get a tick collar from the vet called 'prevenatic' and use frontline monthly.
Posts: 795 | From nyc | Registered: Sep 2004
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minoucat
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5175
posted
You'll need to comb the dog frequently, too -- daily at least -- with a fine tooth comb, especially at the height of tick season, and always at the end of the day. Place a flea/tick collar in the dog's bedding, and clean the bedding frequently.
There are also essential oils (geranium, juniper, mint, sage) that can be sprayed on to help with the Frontline effect. The lyme vaccine for dogs -- or anything else -- is not reliable AT ALL and can induce problems. It's work, having a dog in tick country. And ticks aren't the only vectors (other dogs can carry LD too).
I haven't checked into regular prophylactic tx with something like doxy, and I don't know anything about naturopathic abx for dogs, but you might check online.
Dogs really aren't meant to be indoor critters, unless you get a lapdog sort of thingie.
posted
I use Frontline. You apply it to the back of their neck once a month and she's good to go.
She's never had fleas or ticks...that I know of. Also, I spray the yard a few times a year.
An inside dog will be healthier and live longer...not to mention happier.
It depends on what kind of dog you want: big, small, etc... I have a German Shepherd and I've never had a more loyal, sweet, lovable dog.
She sheds like a beast but if I brush her a few times a week she's fine. Any dog, big or small, can be a good inside dog if you train them.
Some dogs need a lot of exercise and if you don't give it to them can get destructive. So you need to figure out your lifestyle and what kind of dog is best suited for you.
Research a breed before you get one. I LOVE DOGS!!!!!!!!!
Tell my two 45 lb lap dogs they're not meant to be indoors and they would highly disagree with you!
infoseeker: I've found the frontline plus works well. I didn't get it on them quick enough this spring and one of my dogs did get lyme, but after treatment he seems to be okay now.
posted
i must find a way to pursuade my parents to allow a dog in the house, it sucks i that i cant have on indoorsand its either a dog drools too much or its the shedding. as of now my mother has lymes and shes sensitive to the touch on her legs and shes convinced i have a co-infection of sum sort. i get my results this weekend
Posts: 4 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
It's horribly cruel to force a dog to remain outside 24/7.
However, it's also cruel to force a dog to remain indoors 24/7. They need room to run, exercise, play...they need a safe, warm, dry environment to rest in.
There are a variety of products that help protect against fleas and ticks as mentioned above by the other members. It just comes with the territory.
I live by the woods and my dog had lyme, though he didn't contract it until after he spent some time at a kennel when we were on vacation, so who knows. Just as you can't guarantee you won't ever get it, you can't guarantee a dog won't...but that's life. You can protect against it, however.
Some dogs need more time outdoors than others, or simply more space (based on their instincts and energy levels). Bigger dogs generally need more space to run...especially herding dogs. Small dogs don't generally need as much room but again...depends on the breed. My dog is small but he's a terrier, and he needs every inch of our big back yard to keep him happy.
Research the needs of the breeds you're interested in. But I urge you, do not get a dog if you can't allow it to be both indoors and outdoors. Dogs DO get depressed and lonely. It's not healthy.
------------------ cheers, AG
[This message has been edited by algr (edited 19 October 2004).]
minoucat
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5175
posted
Just a point of clarification -- when I said dogs aren't meant to be indoor critters, I meant 24/7 indoors. My pup is as much inside as out. Fortunately, where we live, ticks are pretty minimal and Frontline does it.
In Mendocino County, where we used to live, they were a horror. I looked down at her during one walk in the woods in spring, and her entire back was a mass of ticks. Frontline might have kept them from attaching, but it didn't keep them from falling on her and crawling around her undercoat, and she could have easily carried some inside except for some fanatic fine-tooth combing on my part.
Good point on the yard spraying, Lenny.
And yes, yes, yes, thoroughly research the breed for temperament and excercise needs. An elderly and fragile friend of mine was just given a young corgi "because it's so cute and just the right size." Aaaargh. Fortunately, the corgi was handed on to a vigorous young couple who love his energy and have no problems asserting dominance.
Hey KBear, I'll see your 45lb and raise you 25...in a couple of years. They're never too big to fit, are they.
posted
Both my lab and I gets a spray of Avon Skin-So-Soft before we go outside, been using it for the past 15th years. I apply it around his neck, keeps both the ticks, fleas and other insects off the both of us.
I dilute it, 10 parts water and one part Skin-So-Soft and put in a spray bottle.
Its great when I'm down the shore, the sand fleas do not bite you!
Plus it smells nice.
------------------
[This message has been edited by Alex1950 (edited 19 October 2004).]
Posts: 77 | From Chester NJ 07930 | Registered: Oct 2004
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KBear
Unregistered
posted
minoucat, You've got that right! I think my 7 year old Springer is reverting back to puppy hood. She never was much of a lap dog, now all of a sudden she wants to cuddle. Usually when I'm trying to read the paper! But they do get out and run a lot too. Can't keep a Springer from chasing squirrels!
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