11/06/2026
🐾 PET PARENT PSA: What Arizona Dog Owners Need to Know About Screwworm + How to Protect Your Pup! 🐕🌵
We here at Happy Tails and KnightWatch-K9 know how much your four-legged family means to you. You want to do everything to keep them happy and healthy—and with recent headlines regarding confirmed New World screwworm cases in southern Arizona, we want to help keep our pack informed, calm, and proactive!
"Screwworm" sounds alarming, but with standard parasite prevention and everyday skin checks, it is completely preventable and treatable.
Here is what you need to know, simple steps you can take at home, and what our team does daily to keep your pups safe at daycare, boarding, and training! 👇
🦟 How Does Screwworm Happen?
Unlike common blowflies whose maggots feed only on dead tissue, screwworm flies lay eggs exclusively in open, living wounds—even tiny breaks in the skin like cactus pricks, foxtails, tick bites, or fresh surgical incisions. When we protect broken skin and deter flies, we stop them in their tracks!
💊 Vet-Approved Preventatives (Your Dog’s Primary Shield)
The best news? The routine preventatives most dogs already take are your strongest line of defense:
Monthly Isoxazoline Chews: Common prescription flea and tick preventatives like NexGard®, Simparica / Simparica Trio®, Credelio®, and extended options like Bravecto® provide strong systemic protection that kills larvae before an infestation can start.
Rapid Knockdown: Oral treatments like Capstar® (nitenpyram) can be used under veterinary guidance to rapidly eliminate active larvae if an exposure occurs.
Dog-Safe Fly Repellents: Vet-approved sprays offer an added layer of deterrence during outdoor play. (Never use dog fly sprays on cats!)
👉 Always check with your primary veterinarian to confirm your pup's routine parasite preventative is up to date and right for their lifestyle.
🛡️ What We’re Doing at Daycare & Boarding:
Your dog’s safety and comfort guide everything we do:
✅ Nose-to-Tail Checks: Every dog gets a hands-on physical check at arrival and throughout the day. We never need an excuse to give extra belly rubs and love, but catching nicks, thorns, or irritations early is always our top priority.
✅ Immediate Care & Rest: Any minor play scrape is cleaned and disinfected on the spot. Dogs with healing skin breaks are kept comfortable in indoor, fly-free rest areas.
✅ Rigorous Sanitation: Continuous waste pickup, sanitized play yards, and outdoor fly control keep attraction near zero.
✅ Health Screening Policy: To keep everyone safe, pups with open wounds, draining skin breaks, or fresh surgical incisions must rest comfortably at home until fully healed.
🏡 3 Quick Habits for Home:
Check After Desert Outings: Run your hands over their coat, paws, ears, and belly after hikes or yard play to check for stickers, scrapes, or burrs.
Clean Minor Cuts Fast: Flush small scratches promptly with a dog-safe antiseptic solution and keep the area dry.
Stay Current Year-Round: Stick strictly to your dog's preventative medication schedule without skipping months.
Have questions before your pup’s next stay? Drop a comment below or message our team directly. We can't wait to see your happy tails this week! ❤️🐶
