Keep Your Pet Healthy And Safe When Traveling By Air

If you are planning to fly with your pet, you are part of a growing trend that has been increasing for the last number of years. Most airlines, for a nominal fee, will allow your small pet to fly with you if it will fit in a FAA approved pet carrier that can be stowed under your seat. The following important information can help you keep your pet safe, healthy, and happy on airline flights.

When booking a flight, it is a good idea to make reservations for yourself and your pet as early as possible. You must let the airline know that you want to bring your pet with you. It is very important to tell them, as they will only allow a limited number of pets on each flight. Some airlines do not allow pets at all, especially on international flights. Always confirm your flight the day before you leave on your trip. If you are traveling internationally you need to confirm your reservation seventy-two hours before you go.

Before you fly into the wide blue yonder with your furry travel companion, you need to take him or her to the vet for a checkup, to be sure he or she is healthy enough to travel. You will also have to take its health certificate with you, showing that your pet is up-to-date on all it’s vaccinations, including rabies. Your pet has to wear its current vaccination tag when traveling. As well, your pet must meet the health regulations of the country you will be traveling to. Take along a copy of your pet’s medical records listing its allergies, chronic medical conditions, and medications.

If you have not done this already, you should get your pet micro-chipped. That way, if your pet gets lost and is taken to an animal shelter or veterinarian, where its chip can be scanned, you both can be reunited. Keep in mind that your pet’s I.D. tag will have your home address and phone number on it. That will not be of much help if your pet is lost while you’re on vacation. It is a good idea to get another tag made up with your destination address and phone number on. What could happen if you pet isn’t found until after you’ve returned from your vacation? It makes sense that you should leave both your home identification tag on your pet as well as attaching the new tag. That way you will have all bases covered and have a better chance of being reunited

You should carry a picture of you pet with you when you travel. It will help you prove that you are the pet’s owner if any problems of ownership occur. Also, the picture can be used to make some flyers up to post in the area where your pet was lost.

Flying with pets that are too large to fit into a FAA approved pet carrier is not a good idea as they will be stowed in the cargo hold. Putting your pet in the cargo hold of an aircraft is very traumatic and dangerous to its health. It makes far more sense to leave your pet with a friend, or a pet sitting service while you are vacation.

The American Veterinary Medical Association advises against sedating or tranquilizing your pet when flying, especially dogs. Dogs regulate their body temperature by panting, so if they are tranquilized, they may not be able to pant. If this happens, it can leave them defenseless against the fluctuation of temperature and air pressure that occurs in the cargo hold of every flight. Also, keep in mind that pets don’t enjoy flying, or being stuffed into a cramped kennel and left alone in a dark and desolate cargo hold. It must be terrifying for them.

There are many websites that have additional valuable information on traveling with your pet. Two wonderful sites are the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) at aspca.org, and the Department of Agriculture at aphis.usda.gov, which has an excellent article called, Traveling With Your Pet.

If you want a great travel carrier for your small pet, you may want to consider the popular, FAA approved pet carrier, Sherpa On Wheels. This Cadillac of pet carriers can be a luxurious and comfortable home for your pet while flying. It has the convenience of a front and top entry, mesh ventilation panels, recessed wheels, as well as a detachable pull handle and a shoulder strap. It is available on line at SherpaPet.com.

Taking Your Cat To The Groomer? Some Things To Expect

Cats have an amazing and specially designed tongue that they use to keep their fur looking their best, along with removing, and digesting loose hair. Sometimes the cats own effort isn’t quite enough to keep tangles and mats at bay. This is especially true in the spring when cats tend to shed quite a bit, and if the cat is long haired. Sending your cat to a groomer can help to untangle mats, remove large quantities of lose hair while shampooing the cat to make her look and feel her best.

Most groomers will bathe the cat and add some form of conditioner. But there are many other services a groomer will do. Many groomers offer haircuts for cats. Some will do an overall trim, while others do fancy cuts. Your cat can look like a lion, or, **cough** a poodle.

Sending your cat to the groomer may be a great time for kitty’s nails to be trimmed. Some groomers will even add polish to the claw with bows in the fur of matching colors.

Needless to say, most cats do not enjoy this process whatsoever and will put up a fight every step of the way. After all, cats aren’t really sure what is happening when a groomer starts coming at them with water and soap, and so it’s only natural that the cats would react with fear and sometimes even with aggression.

You’ll need to find a groomer who is well versed in dealing with cats, because a dog groomer may not have the talent needed in order to finagle a cat into accepting this type of treatment. Before taking your cat to a groomer, ask about the groomer’s experience with cats and make sure that this won’t turn into a disaster. A groomer who is well versed in dealing with cats will know exactly what needs to be done and how a cat should be restrained in order to get the job done.

After the visit is over, you may be excited, but your cat may be wishing to hide out for a bit. That’s OK. Recognize that your cat has had a somewhat traumatic experience.

Do all cats need to go to a professional groomer? No, not at all. Most cats are quite self sufficient in the art of keeping themselves clean and beautiful. If you do decide to take your cat to be groomed, be prepared that it may cost a bit and have some extra delicious treats for her in order to get back in her good favor again.

Dog Barking Training - Stop Barking

How to get a dog to stop barking is a primary aim of some dog owners. They don’t want their dog to bark, period. A good dog is a quiet dog, and the only time they should bark is if a robber is climbing in through the bedroom window. Otherwise, you have dog barking problems.

The rub here is that dogs don’t get it the way we want them to. Their voice is their bark and thus their communication tool, just like us. If you have dog barking problems, and your expectation is that your dog should never be barking, this may not be feasible. Dog’s are inherently going to bark. It is their nature.

Why does my dog bark?

Briefly, dogs bark because of who they are and how they are bred. Dogs like Rottweillers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds who are trained to guard, bark to let you know of danger. Beagles and Bloodhounds bay when the scent their quarry so help out their owners. Small dogs, like our Miniature Schnauzer, like to hear their own voices so talk a lot.

There are certain situations where most dogs will bark, no matter their bred-in habits.

He’s bored.

He’s hungry.

He’s lonely.

He needs to go to the bathroom.

Your dog senses another animal.

Your dog is telling you “let’s go play”.

Something is wrong around him.

If your dog is barking for any of the above items, you don’t really have a dog barking problem. He is performing as dogs are bred and trained to perform.

There are times when barking isn’t necessary, or desired. These are the times when you need to use some learned techniques to get them to stop barking.

If your barking dog is trying to control or bullying you into something, you will want to stop your dogs from barking. You can actually train a dog to bark when they want something (like to play) unbeknownst to you. How? React when they bark. So untrained is the opposite reaction - ignore them. At the end of this piece, there is hands on training on how to get this right.

So maybe he is not trying to control you, maybe he just likes to hear himself speak. Here is a good place to control him with hand gestures, not hitting him of course. The method is kind and is set up again to let him know who is in charge. There is not enough space to explain this type of dog barking training, but if you click on the link below you can learn how. Other skills, such as the highly acclaimed “dog whisperer” technique is also available in this information.

If you’ve got dog barking problems, you’re probably miserable. Hopefully, some of the tips outlined in this article will help you to bring some peace back to your house!

Your Dog Has Arthritis - Hear Are Some of the Symptoms

It is tough to see your pet dog suffering due to pain from arthritis. You can see the pain in the animal’s eye. Most of us will like to take some action to relieve the dog of this pain. It is a good thing that there is an option where you can help the pet ease the pain and even do something so that the dog does not get this disease.

Arthritis can strike dogs of any age, size, and physical condition. It’s still a mystery as to what causes arthritis, but many researchers suggest it is an autoimmune disease — a disease that causes the body to turn against its own immune system.

When arthritis strikes, it causes cartilage to break down. Cartilage is the dense connective tissue that protects the joint between bones. In dogs, these areas include the hip, knee, and ankle joints. However, arthritis can occur in other locations such as the feet or spine. As the cartilage wears away the bones rub together, leading to pain, inflammation and stiffness.

Symptoms of arthritis in dogs include:

Problem is standing, sitting and even rising from the ground. Affecting a particular limb Lethargy, lose interest in games and sleepiness Increase in weight Change in behavior and outlook Soreness as well as stiff joints Inflammation near the joints

In recent years, scientists have been studying Glucosamine as a way to treat arthritis in dogs. Glucosamine is a glucose molecule produced naturally in the body. Its job is to fuel cartilage cells to produce the proteins that hold joint tissue together. As dogs age, they are less able to produce glucosamine, which causes the cartilage to wear down and stiffen.

Chondroitin is a cartilage element believed to restrain the enzymes that break down cartilage. Glucosamine and chondroitin are both essential to maintaining healthy joints. Together they protect and rejuvenate the cartilage tissues.

A scientific trial was done on rats in 1998 where they were injected arthritis into the system. The group was separated into two. Glucosamine and chondroitin was administered to one group and the others were left to themselves. While 96.5 percent of group which was not treated got the symptoms of arthritis, just 54 percent of the group who were given glucosamine and chondroitin got arthritis symptoms.

Symptoms of secondary arthritis can be treated by Glucosamine and Chondroitin in dogs also. Any type of surgery or hurt can lead to this arthritis. As per some research the signs of osteoarthritis can also be decreased in dogs with the help of this mixture.

Last, but not least, studies indicate Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements are a safe and effective supplement to add to your dog’s diet at an early age. However, there are conflicting reports on this topic and it’s best to consult with your veterinarian and determine if this is the best option for you and your dog.

Mastering the Commands “Come & No” in Dog Training

Once you have created a loving relationship with your best friend, teaching him to “Come” when you call can be a fairly simple behavioral implementation. Knowing that he will obey this command will build confidence in the knowledge that you have control over his behaviorthis is imperative in your relationship.

Having been trained by a previous owner who was intent on rushing the process can cause negative reactions if your dog has had this experience. However, once your trusting relationship with your new best friend is established, you can impress upon him the importance of him obeying the “Come” command when you give it.

Of course, once your friend is off the leash, he thinks he can do whatever he wants. True. That is why you need to utilize a long line when training him to “Come.” Simply attach the line to his collar, allow it to drag, say his name and immediately follow that with “Come.” He’s probably not going to obey you so give a quick, but gentle, tug on the line and repeat the command. Continue these sessions until he understands and then transfer to a leash. Once he has mastered this behavior, simply remove the leash. Depending on your dog’s personality and prior history, this training may take a few days or up to a week.

Controlling your dog’s behavior should never be harsh or painful. Using the word “No” is another command that can be taught in a gentle manner. He has to understand the association between the word “No” and any unwanted behavior. A great method of teaching him this new command is to attach a long line to his collar and place some food in the area where you are training. Of course, he’s going to run to the food. Once he does this, say the word “No” and give a light correction on the line. He now has an association.

Eventually, the word “No” will mean something to your dog and you will no longer need to use correction. He will obey simply because he trusts your judgment and wants to please you.

Incorrect behavior after training is not that uncommon. You dog could simply be confusedor he could be testing you. Just be gentle but consistent. Every dog is a bit different and will respond in a different manner to commands. Above all, keep your sessions short and exercise patience. Treat him to some free time afterward: toss a ball, go for a long walk together, and just have fun. Give him lots of pats and praise. You will be rewarded with a bonded friendship that will last forever.