Dear Dr. Marc,

I’m really looking forward to getting outside with my dogs now that the weather is warming up. I plan on doing a lot of camping this spring and summer. Anything I should be doing now to prepare? 

Stacey J.

Hi Stacey,

Great question. I’m sure a lot of people and pets are anxious to spend more time outside. It’s been a long, cold winter. Here are some things you can start doing now to prepare:

Make sure your dog is up-to-date on heartworm and flea/tick preventatives. Although heartworm is relatively rare in the area, we see a lot of intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Most heartworm preventatives protect dogs from these intestinal parasites. Ticks are a common external parasite in Wisconsin, and they can carry nasty bacteria like Lyme and Ehrlichia. Many tick preventatives now come in oral chew tabs and are highly effective in preventing bites.

There are also a couple of vaccinations you should consider if you’re spending a lot of time outdoors. The first is a vaccination for Leptospirosis. Lepto is a bacterium that lives in stagnant water and is spread through wild animal urine. If your dog does any swimming in lakes or drinks from puddles, consider getting this vaccine. The other vaccine is for Lyme disease. As I mentioned above, tick preventatives are the most important way to combat Lyme, but if your dog spends a lot of time in the woods, then this vaccine would provide an extra layer of protection.

It is important to remember that every dog is unique and might not need everything mentioned above. Be sure to contact your vet to start planning now.

Have questions for Dr. Marc? Send an email to info@isthmusvetcare.com.