Monday, June 18, 2012

Pets Can Transport Bed Bugs (and Other Critters)

Parasites and creepy crawlers are right up my alley as while in graduate school my areas of concentrations were parasitology, immunology and medical entomology (the study of bugs of medical significance). So this is a topic that is close to my heart and one that needs addressing.

I hate to gross everyone out, this being vacation season and all. but forewarned is forearmed. We all know that bed bugs are a real problem in hotel/motel rooms, but it can also be a problem for your pet as well as the following article explains. In addition, when you stay in a "pet friendly" hotel/motel the cleaning of the rooms may not be adequate enough so you pet can be exposed to a wide range of parasites or disease organisms that had been brought in by the previous animal guests. Make sure your pets are up to date with all their vaccinations and are on their preventative medications. The heartworm preventatives (depending upon which one you use), in addition to protecting against heartworm disease also prevent roundworms, hookworms and in some cases, whipworms. To be certain about which parasites it does protect your pet against check the manufacturer's information or speak with your veterinarian. In addition, due to the heightened risk that fleas may be in these rooms it is imperative that your dog be on a flea/tick preventative medication as well. If you do not normally use flea preventatives, it might be worthwhile to use an application before you bring your pet on vacation with you. Check with your veterinarian and follow their recommendations.

Bed bugs, pets, and travel

Critters will hitch a ride with your furry friend

Updated: Friday, 15 Jun 2012, 6:41 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 15 Jun 2012, 6:41 PM EDT
 
 
(WPRI) - More people are taking their pets with them when they travel. And hotels are often happy to cater to visiting pets. One problem: bed bugs love it when pets visit too.

Charlotte Reed is an expert at traveling with her dog, but does worry about exposing the pooch to the bugs: "My dog sleeps in the bed with me. So, just like I'm exposed to bed bugs at night in the bed, so is she."

Recent surveys have found 67% of pest management companies have treated bed bugs in hotel rooms. Jeffrey White, a research entomologist with BedBug Central, a web site devoted to researching and providing expert information on the critters, says all pets are fair game.

Vet Kimberly May of the American Veterinary Medical Center agrees: "Pets can transport bed bugs. Just mechanically, the bed bug hitches a ride on your pet and gets into your house."

And don't forget your pet's bedding, she says: "You also need to check their soft toys, because there could be bed bugs in there."

Check-in, then check room

The experts say when you arrive at the hotel room, thoroughly inspect it for bugs before bringing Rover or Princess through the door. You can see the bugs easily; they're visible to the naked eye.

"One of the most common areas that you want to inspect when you stay in a hotel room is either the headboard, where bed bugs will typically hide, or the bottom of the box-spring," says White.

Consider leaving your pet's bedding and carrier in the bathroom, where there will be less chance of bugs.

Try treating the carrier with a pet safe bed bug repellent spray. "I always spray the carrier prior to leaving my house," says Charlotte.

Finally, when you get home, take further precautions with the bedding or blankets. "Immediately launder it in the hottest water that you can," says May. "If there are any rips or holes in it, you want to discard it."

The good news, of course -- bed bugs aren't known to carry disease, unlike fleas and ticks. The bed bug bites are merely irritating and itchy to both pets and people.

The experts also say it can't hurt to use flea and tick spray to help keep your pets bed-bug free -- but, there's no research to prove that this method is entirely effective.
Copyright WPRI 12

17 comments:

  1. That is definitely something to consider when traveling with pets. For one, it may take a while to find central london apartments that will allow pets in the rooms because of those extra passengers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alongside this, common pet ailments such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and depression are also being treated with harmful medications without even the mention of natural pet health care as a healing property.extra large cat litter box

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! This could be one particular of the most helpful blogs We’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Great. I’m also an expert in this topic therefore I can understand your hard work. kansas bed bug exterminator

    ReplyDelete
  4. Water is one of the key things that you have to continue on. Without access to safe water, you're not going to complete your exploring trip. Fortunately you don't need to pass on a large portion of your water with you. Using the best climbing water channel, you can refill your water at whatever point you continue running over a stream or conductor on the trail. Th Best top no side effect outdoor Mosquito repellent

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Likewise, attempt to look at all the embellishments, wipers, radio, brakes, safety belts and so on, to acquaint yourself with them, and furthermore to check in the event that they work, similar to the past tip, you may be charged for this in the event that you don't advise them. cancun car rental

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my goodness! an amazing post dude. Appreciate it Nevertheless We are experiencing problem with ur rss . Do not know why Cannot join it. Will there be any person obtaining identical rss dilemma? Anybody who knows kindly respond. Thnkx dog day care in chicago

    ReplyDelete
  8. . So preparing a diabetic dog food diet means keeping the carbohydrates low and keeping off sugar all together. diabetic dog food brands

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I¡¦ll be grateful if you continue this in future. Lots of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers! https://royalcbd.com/product/cbd-salve/

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose. pet shop online

    ReplyDelete
  11. Seriously interesting points produced here. I are going to be again quickly to view what else there’s to read up on. Many thanks admin How Long Can You Leave a Cat Alone

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, i think your site is great. Can you tell me who designed it as i would like to contact them. Thanks. Visit Us

    ReplyDelete
  13. A lot of thanks for all your hard work on this website. Kim delights in setting aside time for investigations and it’s really easy to see why. We all learn all regarding the dynamic tactic you make sensible suggestions by means of the website and in addition foster participation from people on that topic then our own princess is actually discovering so much. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the new year. You have been carrying out a wonderful job. Mobile Groomer

    ReplyDelete
  14. I’m impressed, I have to admit. Really rarely do you encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve got hit the nail for the head. Your notion is outstanding; the problem is a thing that not enough consumers are speaking intelligently about. We are happy we found this within my seek out some thing about it. click here to read more

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very satisfactory and the very helpful blog .I really like this blog for Termite Treatment Brisbane to us .Thanks for this sharing this post .Keep it up .

    ReplyDelete
  16. I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site? can dogs eat popcorn

    ReplyDelete