I live in a place where there are no fleas or ticks and there has been no reported case of rabies for 130 years. My dog of course still got a rabies shot but i thought everywhere had fleas and ticks..what are some reasons we wouldn't?
I've lived here for 14 years and every vet i have talked to says you don't have to worry about those things here because we don't have them. and i've never heared about a pet getting fleas here.
2007-11-17 04:33:35 · 12 answers · asked by Shelby L 6 in Pets ➔ Dogs
sorry.. i live in northern nevada
2007-11-17 04:38:57 · update #1
Probably because it gets too cold there for fleas, and you need woods & greenery for ticks - something Nevada isn't exactly known for (wink) Fleas THRIVE in dry warm climates, not so much in the cold and damp, especially if you get snow which you do. Be grateful - fleas are a pain in the butt to get under control once there's an infestation. There are wild animals in Nevada (well, everywhere), which is why they still insist on rabies shots - better safe than sorry.
2007-11-17 04:43:19 · answer #1 · answered by Flusterated 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, I wish we were that lucky here with the fleas/ticks!
I think we produce "super fleas" here where I live!
But seriously, we haven't had a really harsh winter here in YEARS....and it doesn't stay cold enough long enough to help kill the critters out and at least help control them a little.
As for rabies, it's like the others said, it's due to state vaccination laws that have kept rabies cases down.
2007-11-17 13:03:56 · answer #2 · answered by zappataz ♠ Since 1999 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to live in Wyoming and then lived in Reno NV for 8 years and never had fleas on any of the dogs we had. Never even thought they were as bad a problem as you always hear. But then I moved to Texas and got the shock of my life. The fleas and tics are so bad i was here a week and my dog already had fleas. i am not sure why my only thought is the colder, dryer climate there.
2007-11-17 12:52:00 · answer #3 · answered by T T 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason that rabies is so rare is because of state laws mandating that all dogs get rabies shots.
I believe your vet is right though ... if you don't have a problem with fleas and ticks, don't treat it.
You're also right ... a dog can get fleas and ticks pretty much everywhere in North America.
2007-11-17 12:43:29 · answer #4 · answered by Ginbail © 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there are no woods where you live, then there will be considerably fewer animals in the wild which carry rabies. There will be fewer fleas and ticks, because there are fewer of the types of animals in the wild whose blood they like to suck.
No woods.
Also, someone else said hard winters. That's true too. In Texas, we have mild winters, and so not all the bugs are killed off. In colder climates, the yearly bug crop gets frozen to death, leaving only the eggs.
2007-11-17 12:54:47 · answer #5 · answered by . 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Count your blessings!
Fleas use their host only to feed upon. The majority of the fle's life is spent off of its host. If the eggs are laid late in the fall, they will lie dormant until Spring. I've noticed that if the winter is extremely cold, we will not have much of a flea problem. If the winter is mild, we'll have a bumper crop of fleas. I've read that extremely cold temps will crack the eggs, killing the immature flea. Also, as mentioned in another post, fleas love moisture, if your climate is dry, that's a plus for you.
As for rabies, the active vaccination programs across the US has helped tremendously. In the Midwest, we are having problems with rabies coming into our state from wild animals east of us.
BTW... ALL insecticides are poison (to one degree or another). If you don't have a problem, don't worry about it. .. you have enough toxic things in your life to worry about. (Like the old saying... If it ain't broke, don't fix it!)
2007-11-17 12:59:51 · answer #6 · answered by Charlie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it depends on how hard your winters are. I grew up in Minnesota and our dogs never had fleas (we did have ticks, though) in fact..I don't think I knew anything about fleas until I moved to the Midwest where fleas are a horrible problem. I have been told that because we don't have hard winters and many times in the winter we will have warm spells, the fleas and their eggs survive. Everyone I know has to have a flea treatment on their dogs such as frontline if you are going to take your dogs out anywhere. Consider yourself lucky you don't have to deal with these pests!!
2007-11-17 12:53:01 · answer #7 · answered by ♥ Liz ♫ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are so lucky to live in Nevada! Basically, (and this general simplification) Fleas come from swamp area like Houston, and ticks come from wooded area! Rabies usually come from wood creatures like squirrels and coons. In the desert you have sand fleas sometimes but they don't seem to take to cats and dogs.
2007-11-17 12:50:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
So, tell us: where DO you live?
That would be helpful information to answer your question.
someone said this about N Nevada:
It's a beautiful setting with over 300 days of sunshine per year, a dry climate that inhibits pesky insects (we have no fleas!), lots of fresh clean air and a small town atmosphere.
2007-11-17 12:36:19 · answer #9 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every dog can get fleas. It's a matter of whether or not you brush them frequently and give them some kind of flea repelant. You should give your dog some before It gets worse. Good luck! Sorry I couldn't be
of more help. :)
2007-11-17 12:46:20 · answer #10 · answered by CC_and_Stitch 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋