According to a recent survey by the travel industry,70% of pet owners want to take their pets with them when the go on vacation. Fortunately, there are now over 20,000 pet friendly hotels and motels nationwide. Some chains even allow pets in all of their locations. There are lots of websites that list hotels that will welcome your cat or dog. Many sites allow you to make reservations online and some also offer reviews and advice from other travelers. Check out, petswelcome.com, petfriendly.com, bringyourpet.com, takeyourpet.com, and travelpets.com, or you could just search the internet for pet friendly hotels.  Make sure you take along your dogs favorite bone or your cats favorite cat toy to make him feel right at home.

Are planning a trip soon? You know that you are placing a lot of responsibility in the hands of your pet sitter. You’re trusting this person to care for your precious pet while you’re gone.  You should help the sitter out by preparing your home properly. Start by doing an inspection of your home. Make sure that cleaning supplies and other materials that may be toxic to your pet are locked up.  Put poisonous plants out of reach. Lock outdoor gates and turn on any outside lights. In addition to leaving detailed contact information and detailed feeding and exercise instructions, make sure that you tell you pet sitter about any unusual circumstances like a door that doesn’t shut or a sink that doesn’t drain.  Make sure you tell the sitter where your pet supplies like pet food, dog leashes, dog water bowls and pet medication are kept. These small preparations will ensure the well being of your pet and will help ease your mind while you’re away.

It’s not unusual for dogs to have occasional bouts with diarrhea or constipation that get better on there own. If your dog has ongoing episodes or it you see blood in his stool, consult your veterinarian right away!  Michael Leed, a professor of small animal internal medicine at the Virginia, Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine says that your pet can be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.  He also mentions that this can be quite serious requiring hospitalization and fluid therapy. Stress and bad eating habits can be associated with this syndrome but these aren’t the only causes.  Your veterinarian will run a series of tests to determine exactly what’s wrong and come up with an appropriate treatment solution. In the meantime, if your dog is suddenly having “accidents,” never yell or punish him. Just keep using the pet odor remover and get him to the vet right away!

When seniors have pets, they often share a very powerful emotional bond. That’s why a senior may need a lot of emotional support after a beloved pet dies. You can help by encouraging them to talk about their pet and what it meant to them. Give them time to grieve openly. You may also wonder if it’s a good time to replace the pet. Jane Shaw, director of the Argos Institute at Colorado State University says that some people want a new pet fairly quickly to re-establish an important routine.  Others may need time to adjust. So ask your friend or relative what they would prefer. If he or she needs more support than you or other friends can offer, suggest a grief counselor or a pet lose support hotline. It’s very difficult for anyone when a beloved pet dies. It’s even difficult to look at their belongings like their dog or cat bed, their dishes, leashes etc. When my rabbit passed away, it took me five months to get rid of her cage. Grieving is an important step in the healing process and make sure that you allow time to grieve.

You have a dog who is friendly all of the time.  You clip his dog leash on and he suddenly becomes a monster!  There are lots of explanations for this kind of behavior but it could be a sign of frustration. Your dog is used to expressing himself by the freedom that he is given. When on a leash, his movement is limited and he no longer has the freedom that he enjoys so he gets frustrated.  Proper socialization as a puppy is a key to preventing leash aggression.  Don’t worry, even learned behavior can be changed.  Pulling on the leash and speaking to your dog will only re-enforce the unwanted behavior. You have to teach alternative behavior and utilize the help of a professional. A professional will give you the proper training tips on how to improve his behavior.   If the pulling is really bad, you should consider a  harness or a halter. This is much better for you and your dog. Pulling on a leash hurts your dogs neck and can cause serious problems down the road. A halter will give you more control and your dog will not pull as much. A collar chokes the dog and causes him to pull more. A harness will make things much easier for you.   Good luck, this could be a tough one if your dog wasn’t trained as a puppy on how to behave when his leash is on.

This story is taken from the Dallas Morning News on December of 2008.  On Christmas eve of 2008 a Dallas police officer found an injured dog on the side of the road with no identification tags. The officer took her to the nearest animal hospital.  Most pets in this situation with no identification would be euthanized. The vet scanned the dog which revealed the name and address of the owner. The dog was named Coaster and the owners were very happy to have him home in time for Christmas.  Micro chips are tiny glass cylinders about the size of a grain of rice.  They contain a radio transmitter and a tiny computer with a identification number.  When the scanner is passed over the chip, it sends out a signal picked up by the chips antenna. The indentification number is sent to the radio transmitter and then to the scanner where information  appears on a computer screen. Micro chips are inserted by a vet with a needle. They are placed beneath the skin over the shoulder blades. They remain there for the life of the pet. The procedure is very quick and completely painless to your pet. I had this done with my cat Millie. She’s a little fiesty and once did get out of our porch at our place in Delaware. Luckily I spotted her right away!  Micro chips bring home many dogs and cats. The drawbacks are non universal scanning and some owners worry about a risk for cancer which is extremely minimal. So if your dog breaks loose from his dog leash but is micro chipped, there is a good chance that you’ll get a call from the vet who scanned your dog!

First of all, let me start by saying that by nature, dogs are social animals. Leaving a dog alone for more than eight hours is cruel. Here’s a very upsetting story about a little dog left in a hot apartment while the owner went away with friends for several days. I had lunch with a very good friend who informed me that she would be walking another friends dog for a few days. We discussed the issues about leaving a dog alone and continued enjoying our lunch. The next day, I received a call from my friend telling me that when she went to the apartment to walk the dog, it was unbearably hot and humid. My friend told be that she was dripping with sweat after just a few minutes! There was that little dog, all alone in the hot apartment. I was enraged!!  First of all from a medical standpoint, dogs are very susceptible to the heat. Dog cannot cool their bodies down by sweating. They can quickly fall prey to heat stroke and death!  Dogs also needs lots of water and unlike cats, they tend to drink very quickly and that dog water bowl will quickly become empty. Finally that poor little dog was all alone with no one to care for his needs! The bottom line here is that your dog is part of your family. If you cannot find someone to take the dog or to stay at your apartment while you’re away — DON’T GO! This is cruel and selfish!   People who put themselves before the welfare of their pets have no right to have any animals!

A lot of people are animal lovers, but they just don’t feel they have the time to be a responsible pet owner. Seriously thinking about how much time you have to dedicate to pet ownership is an important step that every potential pet owner must consider before purchasing an animal. But don’t dismiss the opportunity to be a proud pet owner simply because you are hesitant to complete some unpleasant tasks such as litter box cleanup.

If this is the only thing standing between you and cat ownership, don’t forget that you can purchase a self cleaning litter box. Minimizing the amount of time you have to spend with this unpleasant task, hopefully these devices can convince a few more people to make the commitment to a new family pet. Also, don’t forget that the Humane Society or any other kind of animal shelter is a great place to find your next pet. Not only will you get your pick of adorable kittens, but you’ll also be helping save an animal that needs a loving home.