Camping with Dogs and West Nile Virus

Generally summer is my favourite season of all, but this year, even as far up North as I am, summer presents a risk to all of us who prefer to spend time out in the woods, or even just in the backyard. This includes our furry family members as well.

I always knew mosquitoes were evil, this just confirms my suspicions of course. Those big-as-helicopters bloodsuckers are gleefully spreading the West Nile Virus from one end of the continent to the other this year, catching even us Lake Folk. Having just returned from a lovely weekend at our lakefront hideaway (not as glamourous as it sounds!), I can personally attest to their voracious appetites too.

What is the West Nile Virus?
West Nile Virus is a flavivirus, and is commonly a mild infection including flu-like symptoms, fever, aches and pains, and possibly a rash on the body with swollen lymph nodes. The West Nile Fever from the virus lasts a few days, and so far there have been no long-term health issues associated with this virus.

If it's so mild then, why all the fuss?
The fuss comes from what can happen due to being infected by the West Nile Virus. The more severe form of the West Nile Virus, West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis or West Nile meningoencephalitis, an inflammation of the brain or surrounding membrane of the brain is a possibility once you become infected with the West Nile Virus, or both if you are really unlucky.

What about my pets?
Since 1999, there has one death of a dog and one death of a cat from WNV. That's it, just one of each. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) also notes that the dog who died was "already in poor health, and was immune compromised - and therefore is not representative of dogs in general". The latest information states that experimentally-infected dogs were asymptomatic (no symptoms), from AVMA's FAQ.

What should we do then?
Well, I'll be enjoying the summer out at the lake, the same as usual, armed with plenty of mosquito-repellant, for both us and the furry ones.

Camp-site Precautions We Use
Please note, first and foremost, I am not a veterinarian, but these are the products we use to keep our lakeside retreat safe from bloodsuckers, and have been deemed safe by our veterinarian. Please check with your own to be sure you won't be asphyxiating your dogs by accident. We use OFF!® Citronella Candles around the entrance to the motorhome, and OFF!® Mosquito Coils situated wherever we are. Want to see the OFF!® website? Click Here. No they aren't paying me for this endorsement, but considering how much of their products I use every year, maybe I should just buy stock in the company.

For the furry ones, I use Skin-so-Soft, as it's mild formula keeps the worst away, but does the dogs no harm, and does not contain DEET, along with OFF!® Botanicals lotion on the insides of their big ear flaps. They come in at night and sleep on the floor of the motorhome (yes, it is crowded, but it could be worse, I could have five dogs instead of three) and spent most of their time during the day soaking in the lake. Our resident boat-mascot, Ozzy, has the benefit of an OFF!® Mosquito Lamp hanging on the bow of the boat, which keeps us fairly mosquito free out fishing.