Here it is July, and we have reached the midpoint of summer vacation season.  As pet owners, we love our dogs and hate the thought of being apart from them while the family travels.  Many families incorporate their pets needs, right along with the other family members desires, when planning a family getaway. 

Road trips can be a fantastic source of fun, recreation, and education, for the entire clan, including Rover.  Most camping facilities accommodate our four-legged family members, and more and more hotels are happy to serve your dog, as well.  If staying at a hotel or motel, you may have restrictions on the size of animal they accept.  And, be prepared to pay an extra fee, or a larger deposit.

For those of you planning to get away even further from home, you may, or may not want to bring Fido along.  Airline restrictions are…well…strict, when it comes to your pet’s travel.  Plus, there are dangers to subjecting your pet to air travel.

For dogs larger than a hamster (ok, I exaggerate a little), they are required to fly in the cargo hold.  This can be an anxiety provoking experience, for even the most well adjusted, and calm animal.  Sedatives are not recommended (and some airlines prohibit their use), because the changes in temperature and elevation, can cause your animal, when sedated, to become disoriented and disabled.   And, in the extreme, can lead to deaths.

Dogs in Cargo Hold

The ASPCA and The Human Society, do not recommend air travel for pets, and airplane travel for some breeds, can be deadly.  This is most prevalent in brachycephalic animals (short-snouted breeds).  Many carriers do not even allow these breeds to travel with them.  Please refer to Trips with pets for more information.

In addition to the stress of a cargo hold, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100.00 (JetBlue) to $250.00 (United) for your pet.  If your pet is small enough to be in the plane with you, that’ll cost you an extra $100.00 – $200.00, depending on airline.  These are base prices, and can increase with dog’s size.

Even if money is no worry, and your pet is not short-snouted, problems arise with dogs in cargo holds.  The most famous story of dog air travel gone wrong, is the escape (and permanent loss) of Vivi, the Westminster Dog Show winning Whippet.  While every airline has statistics of pets lost, Continental Airlines has, by far, the worst record for delivering your pets safely.

Rufus the Boxer

Instead of stressing your pet (and yourself), with the worry of safe air travel, your pet would most certainly be safer and happier with a professional pet sitter.  If your dog is a homebody (or agoraphobic!), you may choose to have a sitter come to your home twice a day, or opt for a live-in pet sitter while you travel.  If Fido is more of a social being, boarding, in an open environment (not caged), is ideal.  Whatever your needs, there is a pet sitter in your area that can meet your needs.

Do you have any travel adventures with the airlines?  We’d love to hear them.  Happy Traveling.

In my world, everyday is Be Kind to Animals week.  As a pet sitter it’s my job – that’s why I became a pet sitter.  I’ve always had a special relationship with dogs and feel that we need them as much as they need us.

Annie and Tommy

Be Kind to Animals Week was started in 1915 by American Humane to celebrate the relationship we have with our pets and to educated people on how to treat them with kindness and love.  I couldn’t image a world without pets. The joy and love they bring to our lives everyday can’t be measured.  It’s constant and so complete.  You can always count on a dog to lift your spirits and fill your heart with so much love that you think it’s going to burst!

It’s only right that we help other people who may not feel the same way to treat our furry friends with kindness.

As my part for this week, I devoted my ezine to adopting or getting a new dog.  If you want to do your part, here’s what American Humane suggests.  They also instruct you on how to accomplish these suggestions when you click on the learn more button.

Speak out for the animals:  This can be done through legislation, reporting animal abuse (see my prior post about animal abuse) or just speaking out on animal issues that you’re passionate about.  They have an Action Alert if your interested in knowing more about policies and legislation.

Respect wildlife in your own backyard: I know there are lots of pests that eat gardens and plants such as rabbits and deer, but there are humane ways to deter them from your door.  The American Humane has lots of suggestion how to humanely get rid of unwanted animals in your yard.  Or, how about starting a butterfly garden or have bird houses so they have a safe place to live.

Rescue of pet from a shelter: In my opinion, this should always be your first choice when getting a new pet.  Not only are you being kind, but in some cases, you’re saving their life.  All they want is someone to take them home and give them the love they deserve.  It’s a win-win situation. 

Taking care of your pet: Once you get your pet from the shelter, you have to give them the very best.  Number one on that list is nutritional pet food.  This is the foundation of their health and you can avoid costly vet bills if they are getting the proper nutrition.  Get a soft, warm pet bed, brush their teeth on a regular basis, give their coat a good brushing, bathe them, take them on daily walks, provide them with adequate shelter, shade and water, make sure they have their identification including getting them micro chipped and get them the vaccinations they need to keep them healthy and happy.

Most of all love them with all your heart and the love they give back to you is nothing short of miraculous.

Chris L Wagner

I have never owned a cat, but I’m sure giving one a bath would be the hardest thing about owning one.  Cats don’t like me as much as dogs do, so this one is for all the cat lovers out there that have given up on bathing their cats.

This tip was given to me by a Vet and swears that it works.

Help, she's trying to kill me!

First, prepare the room ahead of time and fill a couple buckets full of warm water.  This is so you don’t have to run the faucet as it might scare the cat.

Next, get a window screen frame from the hardware store and place it in the bottom of the tub.  When you put the cat on it, they will grip onto the screen for dear life and not let go.

Now, pour the water on the cat.  Don’t put the shampoo on yet just in case the cat freaks out and runs away.  You don’t want her to be all lathered up and not be able to rinse her off.

If they are OK with the water, use a pet shampoo that will wash off fast and clean.

When you’re done, put a towel around the cat to get some of the water off and pry her away from the screen.  Then let go!

Cats should be washed twice a year – it will get rid of dirt, dander and excess hair that won’t go into their intestines.

Hope this helps and let me know if it works.

Chris L Wagner

From One Pet Lover to Another

Waggy’s Eco Pet Products

Spring is here and the flowers are blooming and the plants are coming to life.  Are you enjoying it or are your eyes watering and you’re sneezing?  Yes, allergy season is upon us.  Luckily, I only get mild symptoms, but for some, it’s a miserable time.

How about your pets – do they get allergies?  Of course they do.  Grasses, insects, molds and weeds to name a few can lead your pet to scratch, bite and sometimes cause open sores on their bodies.

When my  late dog Nikki was little, she used to scratch all the time and get hot spots.  I was a new dog owner and would literally follow her around to see where she was scratching and spray some medicine on it.  It got to the point that she would stop scratching when she saw me coming or would go out of site to scratch!  I was very annoying .  Around 4 years of age, she grew out of it and didn’t have any more problems with the hot spots.

My little Nikki in her later years

The most common types of allergies in dogs are Food, Contact, Inhalant , Bacterial, and Flea Allergies.

Food Allergy

Pet food has come a long way to removing ingredients that pets can be allergic to such as corn, wheat and grains.  It is believed that if they are introduced to these too early of an age they may always be allergic to it.  Mold is sometime inherited with grains because they are stored for long periods of time in grain silos.  The symptoms from food allergies usually manifest themselves as digestive problems or skin problems.

To treat food allergies, you have to start by eliminating the food they’re eating and give them a chicken and rice diets (or whatever your vet recommends).  Vets can also prescribe hypoallergenic packaged dog food.  Slowly, one by one start adding in other foods.  Starting your pet out in life with  a nutrient rich, holistic pet food may be your best defense to food allergies.

Contact Allergy

Contact Allergies are the least common type of allergies.  This is usually caused by a chemical such as  flea products, disinfectants and even types of bedding such as beds filled with cedar.  To treat  a contact allergy is to remove the substance that’s causing it.  However, if it’s not readily apparent what the substance is, you might have to do some detective work.

Flea - A face only a mother could love

Inhalant Allergy

Inhalant Allergies are triggered by the things we get allergies from, pollen from trees, grasses and weeds, mold, mildew and dust mites.  Instead of getting a runny nose and sneezing, dogs manifest their symptoms through their skin.  This can cause itching, scratching, shaking their heads or rubbing their ears or muzzle and licking.  Depending on what they are allergic to, symptoms could last for a few weeks for seasonal allergies or longer.

To find out what is causing the allergy, your pet can go through testing by injecting possible allergens, or do a blood test and send it to a lab so they determine what your pet is allergic to.

Treatments for Inhalant allergies  are:

Anti-Inflammatory therapy using steroids/cortisone.  This will block the allergic reaction in most cases.

Flea Free Shampoo

Shampoo Therapy: Shampooing frequently with a hypo allergic or natural dog shampoo made for this reason can help considerably.  Antigens can be absorbed through the skin and it is thought that frequent shampooing can lessen the absorption and also quickly relieve the itching by removing surface antigens.

Hypo sensitization is basically allergy shots.  By giving your pet small amounts of the antigen, it’s hoped that weekly shots can retrain the body’s immune system to become desensitized and lessening the effects of the allergy substance.

Flea Allergy

By far flea allergies are the most common type.  To most dogs fleas are just a pain in the rump, but for some, it can cause intense itching and cause them to scratch until they have an open sore.  This in turn can cause other secondary infections.  If your dog in severely allergic by the fleas saliva, it’s best to remove all fleas.  Easier said than done.  There are several spot on medications you can purchase such as Frontline, however spot on flea medication has come under some scrutiny in the past months.  There are natural flea shampoos,  and Diatomaceous Earth.   In some cases steroids can be prescribed.

Bacterial Allergy

Staph bacteria is common in dogs.  For some it’s not a problem, but if their immune system is comprised, it can become a severe problem and invade the deeper layers of the skin.  This infection is called pyoderma.  The symptoms are hair loss, raised circular lesions, flaky skin.  This staph infection can occur as a secondary infection from the scratching and itching from other allergic reactions.

The treatment is usually antibiotics, topical and oral medications.  Providing a natural, holistic pet food can bolster the immune system so that a staph infection can’t escalate.

Chris L Wagner

From One Pet Lover to Another

Waggy’s Eco Pet Products

Waggy’s Pet Sitting Service

Waggy’s Holistic Pet Food

In my recent travels through social media, especially in the LinkedIn groups, I have become aware of alternative treatments for animals.  I was familiar with Canine Massage, but not some of the other natural therapies.

We were having a discussion in one of my groups about whether or not they actually work.  Many of the practitioners have seen firsthand the wonderful healings of their companion pets.  Some were not so convinced.  I think that if it works for your pet, then it works!  It doesn’t matter how you heal your pet, it just matters that your pet gets healed.

OOOMMMM

I believe that preventative medicine is the first course of action and of course that means feeding your pet a nutrient rich holistic pet food.  So many allergies and other illnesses come from what you put in your dog.  Read my post on What you don’t want in your dog food.  That can get you started in the right direction.  Learn to read the labels and know exactly what they mean.

There are too many alternative treatments to put in one post. Please go to the Full directory of alternative treatments for animals.  I do not condone or condemn any of these practices.  This is just to let you know what’s out there to help your pet in need.  Please consult your Veterinarian before trying any of these therapies.

Here’s a brief description some of the alternative treatments for your pets.

Canine/Equine Massage:  This is the manipulation of the soft tissue of your pet.  Can be used as a preventative or for injuries.  Also, helps agility or sports dogs.

That feels soooo good!

Reiki: Reiki is Japanese for ‘universal life force energy’, the word can be split into 2 parts – ‘Rei’ meaning universal and ‘Ki’ meaning energy.  The practitioner uses energy transference and touches the animal in different parts of his body.

Acupuncture: Practiced for thousands of years in China and now has become more mainstream here in America, is used for both humans and animals.  The acupuncture needles, used along meridian lines, are meant to unblock the bodies energy lines to redirect the energy and rebalance your body.  Shiatsu is a kin to acupuncture, but using the hands along the meridian lines instead of needles.

Animal Communication:  is the ability of the practitioner to use telepathy to interpret the animals thoughts, feeling, words and mental images.  Telepathy means “feeling across a distance”. This can be used to find out why your pet is doing a certain unwanted behavior, or to get a better understanding of their feelings.

This is supposed to help me!!

Aromatherapy, Flower Essences and Herbal Remedies:   Taking their cue from nature, practitioners use herbs, oils from plants and flower essences to treat ailments or alter moods such as anxiety.  These therapies are nothing new and have been around since the dawn of time.  Animals in the wild learned how to self-medicate and early humans have been using plants and flowers for injuries and sickness since the beginning.  Read my prior post about Essential Oils for Pets.

Magnotherapy: uses magnetic energy fields to speed up the blood supply allowing more oxygen to flow providing more absorption of nutrients.

There are many others and if you would like to investigate these natural therapies more or find a school in your area, here are some links that can help you:   Natural Healers, Alternative Medicine, Natural Animal Health, Naturally Complementary.

Chris L Wagner

From One Pet Lover To Another

Waggy’s Eco Pet Products

Waggy’s Pet Sitting

Waggy’s Pet Tips and Tales Blog

Waggy’s Holistic Pet Food