# Coyotes??? Really?!!!!



## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I live just outside Philly, and was just told that there have been coyote sightings right down the street from me. We're in typical suburbia, lots of wildlife but nothing like this. PA Game Commission was called, but they don't keep track of sightings and there is nothing to do. Apparently coyotes have been seen in all counties in Philadelphia and are not uncommon. Person who sighted them spoke with a wildlife control specialist who told them that lots of critters have been very active due to the warm weather. I guess I better keep an eye out for little Timmy, he's always with me on leash outside anyway. Do you think I should be concerned since he's not fully vaccinated and walks around the yard, since I'm sure coyotes carry the same diseases our pets can get. I don't want to have to call my vet if it's not necessary so I thought I'd get some other's thoughts on this.


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## ClaireVoyant (Jan 26, 2012)

It's fairly common for wildlife to be found, especially in suburban areas. It probably hasn't been too long since that area was a forest or corn field . 

I've seen a bob cat on main street in my town LOL. I don't let my Isabella out unsupervised . . .and coyotes really are far more afraid of you than you are of them and won't come anywhere near as long as you're out too


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

We have a highwire corridor nearby. Herds of deer roam up and down it. About once a month, a pack of coyotes goes through. They usually hang out for 3 nights and move on. My dogs have never once bark and growl at the coyotes' yips. They stay huddled inside.

Nessie is as big as a coyote but she doesn't even ask to go out on the deck when they are near. The next morning, Jack and she spent hours sniffing all of the trails they left behind.

I probably would be cautious until Timmy is fully vaccinated.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I'm in the same area as you. Yes, there have been coyotes here for years. There are actually coyotes with tags in Valley Forge Park area. This means they were brought in to the area.......

My guys walk all over that area. I make sure they are always close to me. I was told to carry a whistle, as coyotes are afraid of that. I keep my guys vaccinated against rabies, parvo and distemper by doing titers. I did ask my vet about Lepto. He does not give Lepto unless someone asks for it. Even though my guys go on regular daily hikes around that area, he didn't think I needed it. He said, " I know if one of your dogs was acting sick you would be bring them in right away". Caught early Lepto responds well to the meds.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

We live in a valley near the Columbia River. There is a drainage slough that serpentines through town - otherwise, we would probably be living in a swamp! It doesn't sound lovely, but I don't mind the slough - lots of wildlife in and along it, including possums, racoons, beavers, nutria as well as a lot of large and small birds/ducks, and I have been told coyotes have been seen along it, although I have not personally seen any. Our yard is not fenced, so these animals have been in it as well as a few off-leash dogs wandering through. We potty trained to the UgoDog for that reason - I did not want the Havs out there until their shots were complete. If our yard had been fenced, I probably wouldn't have been so paranoid about it.


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

Yup, we live on a golf course near Cincinnati, Ohio, and yes we have coyotes. I sometimes sight one across the course. Keeper is never out alone. At night, if he smells skunks I think which live in the reeds on the pond, he refuses to go out. Smart little guy.

I would take care until the vaccinations are all in place.

Keeper's Mom


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I heard it is good to carry an umbrella as well. Once opened, anything to look bigger and intimidating to the animal.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

lfung5 said:


> Caught early Lepto responds well to the meds.


That's really good to know! I do not vaccinate Kodi for Lepto either, and though I know the vaccine is neither safe nor effective, I always worry just a little becuase we DO walk in the woods so often with Kodi. But like you, I watch him like a hawk. The moment he didn't look well, he'd be at the vet!:biggrin1:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

We have a pack of coyotes who base their operations at the back of our farm. We don't see them very often, but we hear them almost every night. Kodi is never out unsupervised, and at night, he is never out off leash.

That said, our suburban coyotes are very shy. Just a human going outside the house is usually enough to send them scurrying for cover. That's not true everywhere... When we were in Nova Scotia last year, we learned that ther had been several HUMAN deaths from packs of coyotes in the National and Provincial parks, because they had become to habituated to humans in these parks giving them a hand-out. They warned that no one should go into the woods alone, that everyone hiking in the woods should carry a stout stick (and how to use it if attacked) and that dogs should be kept on 6 ft lead at all times. It's like the bears in our U.S. parks... People have caused these coyotes to behave in an unnatural way. In one campground, as we were setting up, someone came by and told us to be very careful of Kodi, as they had seen coyotes playing on our site the night before. sure enough, just after dark, they showed up. We made Kodi use his litter box that night!:biggrin1:


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

krandall said:


> That's really good to know! I do not vaccinate Kodi for Lepto either, and though I know the vaccine is neither safe nor effective, I always worry just a little becuase we DO walk in the woods so often with Kodi. But like you, I watch him like a hawk. The moment he didn't look well, he'd be at the vet!:biggrin1:


All I can say is this is what my vet told me. I don't know much about Lepto. I told him we hike in the woods and I was kind of leaving it up to him. He thought about it for a few minutes and then told me he thought my guys didn't need it because I bring them in at the slightest thing wrong. They cough and they are at the vets!!LOL


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

I was just walking Oreo in our front yard this morning and a coyote was walking down the sidewalk, probably about 15-20 feet away from me. Oreo want to go say Hi but I just hightailed it back intot he house.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

narci said:


> I was just walking Oreo in our front yard this morning and a coyote was walking down the sidewalk, probably about 15-20 feet away from me. Oreo want to go say Hi but I just hightailed it back intot he house.


 Okay, you win the scariest story reward of the day.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

Okay thanks guys, so coyotes aren't so rare in suburbia. We have lots of other stuff too, my neighborhood backs up to park. I don't let Timmy out without being on a leash and my yard is not fenced. We will probably put up a fence in the Spring. We're mainly fighting the ticks now, they are rampant!!! My vet suggested an all natural powder with yarrow which does kill them since I've seem the results. I concentrate this on his body, neck, under arms and backside. Guess where I found a tick on him last night??? Right in the middle of his eyes! I am a bit worried about the ticks but they have all been large, brought them in to me for the vet to see, and she said they're dog ticks. I think I'll be getting Timmy on Frontline when my vet says it's okay. Anyone have a 14 week old on Frontline? I might post a separate thread with that question.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Jack always gets ticks on his face. He jams his face into holes. I am pretty sure that I used frontline on Jack as a puppy.


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## Beau's mom (Oct 6, 2011)

Hi! I live in the Philly suburbs, too. My vet suggested _Advantix_ because she said she's seen too many _Frontline_ "failures" lately. She told me to start Beau on the Advantix right away when I got him -- at 12 weeks. He hasn't had a tick yet!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> Jack always gets ticks on his face. He jams his face into holes. I am pretty sure that I used frontline on Jack as a puppy.


Same here. We had to switch to Advantix when he got older, because the ticks around here are pretty Frontline-resistant. But I'm not sure you can use Advantix on a puppy.

Oops! Should have read Beau's Mom's post first. I guess Advantix IS OK for puppies!


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## Judy -- Toby & Jaime's mo (Apr 21, 2007)

There are woods behind our house and we hear coyotes periodically. We have a fenced small yard, but our dogs are never out alone due to fear of being snatched by a Coyote or a Hawk. 

I have seen on on the main trail (very populated with people on feet or bikes) in the Cuyahoga National Park during the day, and there have been a number of dogs that have been snatched by Coyotes around here. There was one case recently that an owner went out during the day (perhaps dusk) with her dog in a suburban housing development and her back was turned and her Maltese was snatched by a Coyote.


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## CarolZ (Aug 12, 2010)

We live in a regular neighborhood in town and last week when out on our morning walk saw a coyote very close to us on the sidewalk. It was large and not at all shy--I yelled at it and it just continued to stare..seemed like minutes, but probably seconds and then a jogger saw what was happening and ran towards us- the coyote then sauntered into a nearby yard Afterwards I realized that I had stood in front of Julie, but hadn't picked her up.
(not a very good Mom) Julie was in a very big hurry to get home and am sure she felt my anxiety. I later googled what to do when have such an encounter..and it is like with mountain lions..make noise, appear to be large and don't turn away. We've started walking a little later in the morning for awhile!


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