By Ruth Stroud
Special Advertising Sections Writer

For pet owners, summertime isn’t when the living is easy, especially when protecting their animals from predators and parasites. According to the California Veterinary Medical Assn. (CVMA), the problems posed by large predators, such as coyotes and mountain lions, as well as minuscule ones, such as fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, may be particularly severe in spring and summer when pets spend more time outside in the yard or traveling with their owners.

The closer people live to open spaces, hills and mountains, the more likely they are to encounter a variety of wildlife, including snakes, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, skunks, bobcats, mountain lions and even the occasional bear, said Wildlife Officer William Taber of the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA in Pomona. Coyotes present the biggest threat to pets in some portions of his agency’s nine-city area, which includes foothills and pasturelands in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

The best protection against coyotes and other large predators is to keep your pet inside, particularly at night, or in an enclosed yard with a fence that is at least 6 feet high, Taber said. Since some wildlife can scale such walls, he suggests topping it with a roller-top extension that makes the animal slide off.

Additional measures that Taber suggested against animals that might invade your yard include:

• Installing motion-detector lights along the perimeter of your property, since most wild animals tend to shy away from lighted areas.
• Feeding pets inside.
• Spaying and neutering your pets to prevent them roaming and getting into turf wars.
• Disposing of ripe fruit on trees or on the ground that might attract coyotes, or rodents, which in turn attract larger predators.
• Trimming overgrown trees and bushes that may provide cover for coyotes.
• Removing birdfeeders, since they also draw rabbits, squirrels, mice and gophers.

The CVMA suggests making sure your pets are leashed and trained properly, especially when walking in areas where they might encounter predators.

Lions, rattlers and bears

Abnormally high rainfall and unusually mild temperatures has created a perfect breeding ground for rattlesnakes this summer, according to veterinarian Evelyn Tom of Singing Hills Animal Hospital in El Cajon. Dogs are more likely than cats to investigate rattlers and get struck, Tom said.

For those who live close to canyons and hiking trails or who plan to vacation in these places with their dogs, she suggested having them inoculated with an anti-rattlesnake vaccine. The vaccine causes an immunity that will neutralize most types of rattlesnake venom, except that of the deadliest rattler — the Mohave Green.

Better yet — avoid encounters with wildlife when possible, Taber said. “Hike on posted hiking tails, keep your animal on a leash and don’t allow it to go off into the bushes looking for something,” he said.

Taber advised hikers to carry a stick, a golf club or even a baseball bat in case they run across a coyote, mountain lion or even an aggressive dog.

Mountain lions, like other wild animals, generally avoid humans, but run-ins have increased as people have moved into the animals’ habitat.

“Mountain lions tend to focus on things that are smaller and things that are moving fast,” said Jon Klingborg, a Merced-based veterinarian who is president of the CVMA. “Walking or jogging with your dog may actually attract a mountain lion by stimulating the predator response.”

If you encounter a mountain lion, do whatever you can to make the animal know that you are not prey, Taber said. “Don’t start running. Stay calm and back away slowly to a safe location. Don’t roll into a ball. …If you have a rock or even a backpack, throw it. Wave the stick. Yell and scream at [it] and make yourself look human. Always fight back,” he said. “Keep an eye on the animal, but don’t stare them down. They’ll see that as a challenge.”

If you have a dog with you, hold it back. Don’t hike alone , he said, since animals usually won’t attack a group of people.

Most bearsalso will avoid people, although in the heat of the summer, they have been known to come down from the foothills in search of food, drink and an occasional dip in a backyard pool. Again, Taber said, the best offense is a good defense — don’t leave x out food or water, keep pets inside and report intruders to the authorities.

Aside from launching a possible attack on your pets, wild animals can transmit diseases.

“If you see [usually nocturnal animals] around during the day, you want to stay away from them,” said Eric Weigand, a veterinarian based in Claremont who is the incoming president of the CVMA. “If they’re behaving abnormally, they might be rabid.”

Contrary to popular belief, cats are far more likely than dogs to contract rabies, Klingborg said. “Cats are more free-ranging and most likely to come face to face with a rabid skunk or raccoon.”

Micro-predators

Having your pets’ rabies and other vaccinations up to date is important, as well as consulting your veterinarian about the right products to use to prevent flea and tick infestations on your pet, Klingborg said.

A bumper mosquito crop is predicted this year, along with a higher incidence of mosquito-borne West Nile virus. The virus can be fatal for horses, so vaccination is essential, Taber said. There isn’t a vaccine for cats and dogs against the disease, but few get infected and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “there is no documented evidence of dog- or cat-to-person transmission of West Nile virus.”

But mosquitoes can transmit heartworm disease to pets, which can be fatal, particularly in dogs. Klingborg advises against using the same kinds of mosquito sprays on their pets as they use on themselves. “They’re very, very toxic to pets. Because of [pets’] grooming habits, a lot of these products end up in their system,” he said.

Retallack also warned about black widow spiders. The arachnids aren’t aggressive, but could kill a small pet or injure larger ones. The best remedy, suggests PetPlace.com, a website devoted to pet information, is to limit your animals’ access to potential spider hangouts, such as woodpiles, drainpipes and holes. Also, investigate your yard for these black arachnids with distinct red hourglass markings and contact pest control to remove any nests you find.

Surprisingly, when it comes to guarding your pets against predators, Klingborg said that the worst culprits are often not coyotes or even the lowly flea.

“It’s the dog down the street with the bad attitude or the neighborhood tomcat that attacks the family cat,” he said.

Responsible pet ownership is key to preventing these kinds of encounters, he said. That includes having your pet spayed or neutered to reduce roaming and territorial spats.

Ruth Stroud is a freelance writer based in Manhattan Beach.

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