Pet Auto Safety

Cats make lovable pets. They are warm, fuzzy pets that aren’t as energetic as their dog counterparts. Hence, they are often on their best behavior and don’t mind sleeping for hours.

Like dogs, cats can be brought outdoors for some fresh air and for a change in scenery. They must be kept safe on car rides by using a cat safety harness. The harness keeps them safe in the back seat of the car. This way the driver can focus on the road and not worry if the cat is restless or is scratching the windows.
 

There’s some truth to the saying that a dog is a man’s best friend. Dogs are loyal and lovable creatures. It is no surprise then that dog owners take their dogs many places, even on road trips or errands.

Like humans, dogs have to be kept safe while riding inside a vehicle. A dog seat belt is specifically designed for pets. It is a safety harness that protects the pet in case of a car accident. At the same time, it also prevents a dog from getting restless and from disturbing the driver.

I want to take my dogs with me when I visit my parents in Texas this year, but depending on my mode of travel, I will probably have to leave them in Kansas City. If I drive, I may be able to take my dogs with me. But it is a very long drive (12+ hours) during this time of year, I have to worry about driving in the snow. My other option is to fly. Whenever I fly to Texas, my dogs are sometimes allowed to fly as well. But because they are so big they are only allowed to go as cargo and only if the weather is not too hot or too cold. Due to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), animals are only allowed to fly as cargo during moderate temperatures. The holidays get very cold here in Kansas city so if I fly, chances are that the weather will be too cold for the dogs to fly as well. Check out PetsOnTheGo.com for more information on the regulations regarding pets flying on commercial flights.

So what do I do with my pets to ensure that they are properly taken care of during the holidays? Since you may also be leaving your pets behind while you travel this holiday season, there are a few options I’d like to share with you. The first thing you can do to have your pets taken care of during the holidays is to have a friend or family member take care of them. Or you could hire a pet sitter. And another option is to leave your pet(s) at a boarding kennel. We will go over the benefits and disadvantages of each of these options over a period of three parts. Today is Part One which covers the benefits and disadvantages of having a friend or family member take care of your pet(s) during the holidays.

Have a Friend or Family Member Take Care of Your Pet(s)

This is probably the best option if you have a friend or family member who is not also traveling out of town for the holidays - Especially if your friend or family member is very familiar with your pets. Your dog or cat will know you are gone and it will help their anxiety if someone else is around that they know and love. If this is an option for you, the next thing to decide is if your pet will stay at your friend’s house or if your friend will periodically come by your house. There are benefits and drawbacks for both of these.The benefit of your pet staying at your friend’s house is that your friend will provide almost constant companionship and monitoring. The drawback of your pet staying at your friend’s house is that your friend may not know your pet’s habits and therefore may not be as observant as required. For example, if you cat likes to slip outside when you are not paying attention, or your dog tends to dig under or jump over the fence when they are outside, or your pet likes to get into the garbage.

The benefit of your pet staying at your home and having your friend or family member come by is that your pet is in familiar territory. Some pets may not do well when they are away from home, even if it is with someone they know. The drawback to having your friend come by is that something may come up where they are unable to make a visit. With no other alternative in place, your pet may be left alone for very long hours with no chance to eat or go outside to potty. Not only that, this would be a great inconvenience for your friend or family member if they do not live within a few minutes of your house. Another drawback is that your pet may have separation anxiety because you are gone so long. Even your friend coming by may not be enough.

One of the most comfortable travel seats for your traveling dog is the Lookout Pet Car Seat. There are many sizes and shapes of the Lookout designed for the seats of your car, your car’s console, or even for a golf cart. The Lookout Seats are perfect for pets up to 30 pounds, depending on the size of the seat. They have seat-belt slots for added security which is great for keeping your pet safe when they travel in the car. The interior of the Lookout Pet Car Seat is lambs wool while the outer design is of nylon quilt which comes in many colors. They are so comfortable that your dog could even use the Lookout as a bed in your home. One thing about the Lookout Pet Car Seat that we must mention is that these seats are not recommended for the front seat of the car. This mainly because of the airbags. Airbags are designed for adults, not children or pets. So unless your car does not have passenger-side airbags, please do not use the Lookout in the front seat.

In conjunction with the dog car seat belts, I use the Extend-A-Seat in my car whenever Sephi and Maya travel with me. The device worked perfectly when we first used it on a four hour trip from Kansas City to St Louis. Sephi and Maya were much more comfortable on this trip because they had more room to move around or lay down and stretch their legs.

What is an Extend-A-Seat? The Extend-A-Seat is a sturdy device which attaches around the front car seats and headrests in order to cover the floor of the back seat. The Extend-A-Seat by Outward Hound is slightly padded and designed for dogs over 30 pounds. Sephi is 55 pounds and Maya is almost 70 pounds and the Extend-A-Seat has shown no signs of weakness or breakage.

How does the Extend-A-Seat protect your dog? The most defining feature of the Extend-A-Seat is it keeps your dog off the floor of the car. If you have to make a sudden stop your dog could fly forward and crash onto the floor, possibly spraining or even breaking their leg, hip, or back. But if your dog is wearing a seat belt, how could this happen? True, with some dog car seat belts the dog would not crash onto the floor because those seat belts severely limit your dog’s movement. However, other dog car seat belts have an adjustable strap which gives them more freedom to move and sit, stand, or lay down. The Extend-A-Seat provides even more space for your dog to move around which can be very comfortable for those long road trips.

How does the Extend-A-Seat protect me? The Extend-A-Seat has a small flap which provides a visible barrier between the front seats. So if your dog is not wearing a dog car seat belt, this flap may deter them from trying to get into the front seat and distracting you while you are driving. The flap can easily slide down, however, so it is only a visual barrier, not a physical barrier. The best way to prevent your dog from getting into the front seat while you are driving is to have your dog wear a dog car seat belt.

Are there any drawbacks to the Extend-A-Seat? One feature we have noticed is there is a slight gap around the side edges of the Extend-A-Seat. So it is not recommended for smaller dogs who may be able to slip between those gaps. The Extend-A-Seat straps can be tightened so that the padded base is flush against the back of the front seats. However, if the back of the front seats are not straight, there may be additional gaps. The back of the front seats of my car are not straight. However, since Sephi and Maya have the dog car seat belts with adjustable straps, I make the straps long enough for them to still move around but short enough so they can’t get their foot caught in the gaps.

Is the Extend-A-Seat right for my dog? To find out, ask yourself these questions:
1) Is my dog or are my dogs over 30 pounds each?
2) Do my dogs hate being restrained in the car?
3) Will my dog be using a dog car seat belt with an adjustable strap?

If you answered yes to all three questions, then the Extend-A-Seat is perfect for your dog!

As humans age so do their bones. After a long and active life those bones are bound to show some signs of wear and tear. Animals are no different. Elderly animals are hit hard by the aging process. Pet owners should be aware that they can help animals suffering from chronic hip pain.

Pet stairs are a welcomed alternative for elderly pets that struggle to jump up on the couch or the bed. Many people enjoy the comfort of their pet dog or cat sleeping in their beds or snuggling up next to them on the couch. But in many cases elderly pet can’t do this, or, it’s painful to do so. Putting some pet stairs next to the couch and the bed can ease a pet’s pain and keep them by your side.

Vet Care
If you adopted your puppy from a humane society or animal rescue group, most likely, all the health care has already been taken addressed. Whether you got your new pet from a humane society or individual, your pet still needs to visit your veterinarian. Be sure to provide the vet with all the information and records you received from the humane society or individual. The health treatments which have been done or will be done by the veterinarian include:

* Rabies vaccination to prevent your pet against the rabies virus.
* DHPP vaccination which protects your pet against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfuenza.
* Bordatella vaccine to protect your pet against various strains of kennel cough (also called canine cough).
* Lyme disease vaccine (recommended only for dogs in high-risk areas).
* Fecal exam and de-worming medication if parasites such as worms are found in your pet’s feces. (De-worming is done automatically for puppies and follow-up boosters may be necessary as well.)
* Flea & tick prevention such as Advantage and Frontline which will help prevent the parasites as well as kill any fleas and ticks which may already be on your pet.
* Heartworm prevention which will help guard against heartworms, which causes heart disease and other serious health conditions.
* Spaying or neutering.
* Microchipping to increase the chances of getting your pet back home should your pet ever get lost.

Not all of these procedures occur at once. If you have a puppy, your puppy may be too young for some of these treatments. Some vaccines require additional booster shots within the next few months or so. This is a lot to remember but your vet will know everything which needs to be done. Ask your vet any questions you have concerning your new pet.

Pet Supplies
Pet supplies will also be needed for your new dog or puppy. Your pet needs food, food and water bowls, leash, and a collar. You may also want to consider a special walking collar to help for in case your dog or puppy likes to pull on the leash. We recommend the Martingale collar, headcollar, or pull-stop harness. The Martingale collar works like a choke chain but can be adjusted in order to limit the amount of choking done. The headcollar fits around the head and muzzle and the leash is attached in such a way that if the dog pulls, they are forced to turn their head. The pull-stop harness fits around the chest and legs so that if the dog pulls, they are pulling from their legs and not their neck.

Another optional supply for your pet is a crate. Crate training is a great way to limit a lot of bad behaviors and establish some good behaviors. Don’t use the crate as a punishment, however. If trained properly, most dogs learn to love their crate. They eventually feel safe and secure in them. Other optional supplies for your new dog or puppy include pet toys such as a Kong or rope toy, dog treats, a dog bed, pet apparel such as a dog sweater, personalized pet id tag, and pet auto safety supplies. If you want to travel to take your dog to the park and such, it is a good idea to provide them with safety when they are in the vehicle. Large dogs do best with just a dog car seat belt. Small dogs do well with the seat belt as well, but you can always pamper them by getting them a comfortable booster seat. In combination with a harness or dog seat belt, the booster seat keeps your pet safe and helps them get a boost so they can look out the window (something that most dogs absolutely love to do).

Be sure to check out our next blog, Making Your Home Safe and Getting Your Pet Acquainted With Your Family.

If you’re like me you think of your pet as a child. You feed them, give them shelter, and most importantly—you keep them safe. My cat Puppet Master is an orange tabby. He weighs 19 lbs and goes everywhere I go. The other day I was headed to my cousin’s house for dinner, it was raining, and had snowed the night before. I hit a patch of slush and had to slam on my brakes. Puppet Master flew forward, hitting the dashboard. He was stunned for a while, but it turned out he was just fine.

When I returned home I surfed the web for a cat car harness that could safely strap him in when we were on the road. It turned out there were several available—they weren’t even that expensive. Since then I always keep Puppet Master harnessed in the car, at first it bothered him.  But I let him wear the harness around the house for a while and he soon got used to it.

Hip dysplasia is a common degenerative joint disease seen in dogs. Hip dysplasia is caused by the abnormal development of a young dog’s hip joint. It can affect one or both of a dog’s hips. Laxity in the muscles, connective tissue and ligaments forms an unstable support for the hip, and over time that lack of support can result in dysplasia.

A dog suffering from hip dysplasia may show discomfort or pain during and after intense exercise. Eventually, the condition will worsen to the point at which everyday activities become painful. If the condition persists without intervention for more than a couple of years the dog could lose the ability to walk.

Treatments for hip dysplasia include; corrective surgery, weight management, physician-specified exercise, massage and physical therapy. Dogs suffering from this condition tend to have trouble getting up stairs. Pet ramps work well to help a dog navigate his way up or down stairs.