[yorkiemomm]

I know this question is alittle strange but I live in the south and we are relocating to the Vegas area with pets. I know that you don't have a problem with Heartworms in dogs there or at least that is what I am told but do you have fleas and ticks in the desert? We are covered up in them here and have to treat our pets for them so I was just wondering. Thanks for your reply. I am sure to have more dumb questions to come. This board is very helpful.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by yorkiemomm

I know this question is a little strange but I live in the south and we are relocating to the Vegas area with pets. I know that you don't have a problem with Heart worms in dogs there or at least that is what I am told but do you have fleas and ticks in the desert? We are covered up in them here and have to treat our pets for them so I was just wondering. Thanks for your reply. I am sure to have more dumb questions to come. This board is very helpful.

It's a legitimate question. No mosquitoes, no heart worms, except there are mosquitoes on the east side of the Valley near the Henderson swamp, as we call it. I've never heard of a case of heart worms here, but that doesn't mean there haven't been a few isolated ones. Fleas don't live in the desert, but ticks do. They aren't that bad down here in the Valley, but it happens, and they are on the mountain. My ex-wife lost a dog several years ago to a tick related illness. I think it was because he had been playing in some weeds in some body's back yard though. I've never actually seen a tick in Las Vegas, but they have them at Mt. Charleston. Nobody ever seems to worry about it though. When I was hiking, we never got a tick on one of our dogs. I hope I didn't just jinx the two I have now. Knock on wood. Anyway, stores like Pet Farts sell flea and tick treatment but I don't know who buys it. They also sell squirrel guards for your bird feeders even though there hasn't been a squirrel in Southern Nevada since before the ice age.

[guinnessjim]

quick responses:

very few mosquitos...though one of my firends dogs did manage to pick up heartworm

ticks can be found in the mts...spring of 2007 i found a bunch on the dogs after hikes. haven't seen one since, though (including during this past spring).

on the whole...not a whole lot to worry about w/ respect to "bugs" and your pets; but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still be aware of the potential..

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by guinnessjim

quick responses:

very few mosquitos...though one of my firends dogs did manage to pick up heartworm

ticks can be found in the mts...spring of 2007 i found a bunch on the dogs after hikes. haven't seen one since, though (including during this past spring).

on the whole...not a whole lot to worry about w/ respect to "bugs" and your pets; but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still be aware of the potential..

Anytime you take your pets to the mountains you should check them for ticks. And I'm not sure I'd take my dogs to the bird preserve in Henderson. I'd be worried enough about West Nile for me. But neither is very big problem here. Yet another reason not to live east of the Rockies.

Parks & Recreation - Bird Viewing Preserve and Water Reclamation Facility

[aqualung8705]

There are squirrels in Vegas, I saw a cute, little one back in May over at Health South at Tenaya. I wish I had my camera with me! On a related note, my mom had one as a pet (it fell out of a tree when it was a baby) when she was a teenager back in Santa Rosa, CA. I saw the picture of them that was in the paper. Unfortunately, it was lost in the move, or I'd post it here.

[jpk]

The squirrels and rabbits hang out on the golf courses where there are trees and grass.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by aqualung8705

There are squirrels in Vegas, I saw a cute, little one back in May over at Health South at Tenaya. I wish I had my camera with me! On a related note, my mom had one as a pet (it fell out of a tree when it was a baby) when she was a teenager back in Santa Rosa, CA. I saw the picture of them that was in the paper. Unfortunately, it was lost in the move, or I'd post it here.

There is a big difference between a bushy tailed squirrel and chipmunks and/or ground squirrels, which we have tons of around here, but no tree squirrels. After all, the nuts in Vegas don't grow on trees. No squirrels even on Mt. Charleston.

Now this is a really strange squirrel that is only found on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Kaibab Squirrel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And this little guy, not the same species as the Kaibab, lives on the south rim. Abert's Squirrel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[CynicalDog]

A very late reply to this topic, however...

Heartworm has become more prevalent in Las Vegas over the last few years because so many new homes with pools were built, and then abandoned, meaning more locations for mosquitos to multiply. Our vet started recommending we treat for heartworm as of a few years ago.

As for ticks, we've been in the 95/Durango area for ten years and have never seen a tick, and lived with the belief that ticks couldn't survive in the desert heat and dryness. This year, we've been proven wrong! The landscaped section of our yard (desert landscaping with a lot of decorative grasses) has become a thriving home for ticks, because every time we allow our dogs into that area they end up infested with the horrible little creatures. We have no idea where the ticks originated, but it's currently 110 degrees outside and I'm finding new ticks on my dog on a daily basis. Maybe the unusually mild and wet winter helped them flourish? We haven't added any new pets to the family (or any new landscaping to the yard) in the last two years, and our neighbours don't have any pets, so it's truly a mystery.

Sadly, the desert no longer seems to be a guaranteed respite from annoying and dangerous pests like ticks and mosquitos, so no respite from the high costs of preventative treatment, either.

[unf0rgiven6262]

The vet I go to basically left buying heart worm pills up to me. He said they see a few cases every year. In the end I would feel terrible if my dog died cause I skimped on an $80 a year purchase. But generally on a day to day basis in the valley I see no ticks or mosquitoes. I did hear there are a resurgence of bed bugs in the area though. Also it must be mating season for the black widows as I killed 8 of them at the park the other day.

[dynimagelv]

Originally Posted by unf0rgiven6262

The vet I go to basically left buying heart worm pills up to me. He said they see a few cases every year. In the end I would feel terrible if my dog died cause I skimped on an $80 a year purchase. But generally on a day to day basis in the valley I see no ticks or mosquitoes. I did hear there are a resurgence of bed bugs in the area though. Also it must be mating season for the black widows as I killed 8 of them at the park the other day.

That was some poor family out for a weekend in the park