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5 Tips For Traveling With Your Dog

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Traveling with your dog can be a lot of fun.  You can enjoy seeing new things and doing things together.  Many dogs enjoy traveling.  These days many hotels welcome dogs as guests.  But if you’re going to be traveling with your dog there are some things you can do to make your trip a success.  Here are some tips:

1.  Make sure that your dog is up-to-date on his vaccinations before setting out on your trip.  Some areas can require you to show proof of your dog’s vaccinations if they ask so take your dog’s rabies certificate as well as having him wear his tags.  Rabies shots are required throughout the United States, so be sure that your dog is current on his rabies vaccination.  Besides the requirement, you never know what diseases may be present in the areas where you’ll be traveling.  It’s best to have your dog protected in case you encounter something unhealthy for your dog.

2.  When you travel your dog should wear a good collar with identification tags.  Even if your dog has a microchip, your dog should wear tags when he’s on vacation.  If your dog were to become lost (Heaven forbid!), and someone found him, it’s possible that they wouldn’t know to check for a microchip.  However, tags are always immediately recognizable.  Tags should have your name and current address and phone numbers on them.  You can also include your vet’s phone number or another number where people will know how to contact you.

Microchips are still good.  Collars can come off or be removed.  In that case, a shelter or vet scanning your dog can find the microchip and be able to contact you.

3.  When you travel with your dog take some water from home or buy bottled water on your trip.  A dog’s stomach can be easily upset when traveling.  Drinking strange water on the trip can cause diarrhea or other stomach upsets.  Taking your own water or buying bottled water can keep your dog feeling good and prevent you from having to do some clean up.

4.  Take your dog’s food with him on the trip.  Even if your dog eats a national brand of pet food there are variations in batches and lots.  It’s best to continue to feed your dog from the same bag or cans you bought at home to avoid stomach upset.  If your dog eats a food that’s hard to find then you can’t count on finding it when you travel.

5.  Crate your dog while he rides in the vehicle.  Whether you have a car, van, truck or any other kind of vehicle, you should crate your dog when he’s traveling with you.  Allowing your dog to ride lose in the car is not very safe for him.  Riding in a crate is the safest way for your dog to travel.  A hard-sided airline crate is usually the safest kind of crate for travel.  If you are in an accident you dog won’t go flying through the vehicle.  If he’s in the crate he will be as protected as possible.

Don’t choose a crate that’s too large.  If the crate is too big then your dog will be slung around in the crate if there is an impact.  Instead, choose a crate that is big enough for your dog to stand and lie down.  This will protect him in case of an accident.

There are many other things to remember when you travel with your dog:  remember to bring a can opener if you feed canned food.  Remember to bring your dog’s dinner dishes.  Remember to bring paper towels for any clean up.  Remember to bring your dog’s bed if he has a favorite dog bed.  The list is endless!  It’s like traveling with a baby.

There are some things that you can pick up on the way if you forget them at home, but if you remember to have your dog up-to-date on his shots, wear a good collar with current ID, bring water from home (or bottled water), bring his food, and crate him while he rides, you should have a great — and safe — trip.

5 Tips For Traveling With Your Dog courtesy Dog Articles.

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10 Pet Safety Tips You Should Know

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In some ways having a pet is like having a child.  You have to do all of the thinking and planning for him.  You have to be prepared for every contingency.  That means being prepared in case of emergencies and taking the proper precautions ahead of time.

Here are some tips that should help you take good care of your dog:

1.  Make sure that your dog is up-to-date on his vaccinations and that he has proper tags and ID at all times.  Microchips are recommended.  This is a great help should your dog ever become lost.  It gives him the best possible chance of being returned to you if somebody finds him.

2.  Obey leash laws.  This means that you should keep your dog safely contained in your own yard behind a fence.  When you have your dog out with you make sure that he is restrained on a good quality leash.  Don’t let your dog run loose.  This is dangerous to him and a nuisance to the neighborhood.

3.  Be careful what you feed your dog.  No chocolate.  No onions.  No raisins.  If in doubt about something your dog eats or if you suspect poisoning call your local veterinarian immediately.  Know the number of your closest emergency vet clinic and the shortest route in case you have an emergency at night.

4.  Crate train your dog.  Your dog should ride in a crate in your vehicle.  This is the safest way for your dog to travel.  Crate training is also a great way to help house train your dog.  If you ever intend to fly anywhere with your dog he will also need to fly in a crate.

5.  Keep a pet first aid kit on hand and know how to use the contents.  A good first aid kit should contain blankets, surgical tape, a muzzle, an antibacterial ointment (such as Neosporin), cotton swabs, tweezers, gauze and gauze pads, hydrogen peroxide, ipecac, scissors, forceps, diarrhea medication, and activated charcoal.  Remember that if your dog experiences an injury that he may react out of fear or pain.  Be careful in handling him.  He could bite you accidentally.

6.  Take special precautions in hot summer weather and during extreme cold.  Remember that dogs can’t sweat and that they suffer during extremes of weather just as people do.  They should not be left in vehicles during either extreme, even for a few minutes.

7.  Remember that your dog needs fresh water available at all times.  Dogs can become dehydrated just as people can.

8.  Take special precautions with dogs when there may be fireworks or other loud noises.  Many dogs are sensitive to these loud booms and can become frightened from them.  Some dogs can bolt and become lost.

9.  Old dogs need special care.  Keep an eye on their weight.  You don’t want them to be either too thin or too much overweight.  Both can be signs of an underlying health problem.  Make allowances for their age.  Provide a softer place to sleep, give them more time to eat, make their food more appealing.  Take them for a senior check-up starting when they’re about seven-years-old.

10.  Be patient with puppies.  They come to you not knowing anything.  They will make mistakes.  Teach them using positive training techniques and they will be able to learn anything you want to teach them.  A trained dog is a happier dog and has a better chance of fitting into your home and lifestyle and living a wonderful life with you.

10 Pet Safety Tips You Should Know courtesy Dog Articles.

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The Differences Between Micro-chipping and GPS Pet Locators

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Technology has changed every aspect of our lives and continues to do so at a rapid pace. In terms of looking after your beloved pets it should come as no surprise that thanks to technological advancements today, you can now track them using sophisticated GPS systems if they go missing. No one wants to lose their pet and by tracking their whereabouts, you can make sure that you increase the odds of finding them as soon as possible.

So what exactly is micro-chipping and what does it do? About the size of a grain of rice, a microchip is a computer chip that stores an identification number and transmits information to a suitable scanner through radio waves. To implant a microchip in your dog, you need to have your veterinarian inject the chip using a pre-loaded syringe between the shoulder blades of the animal. Most dogs feel no pain during this procedure, which is over in a matter of seconds. Once implanted, tissue surrounding the chip forms a casing that prevents it from moving. Most microchips are made of a bio-compatible material that rarely causes any infection.

Once in place, the chip can be detected using a handheld scanner that then displays the unique code. It is necessary that you register your pet with the microchip company so that, your name, address, and contact details are accessible when the pet’s chip is scanned. Microchips should last a lifetime and do not need to be replaced or charged. In the rare occasion that the chip migrates away from your dog’s shoulder blades, a scanner should be able to pick up the signals from anywhere in the body. Most veterinary clinics and pet shelters have a scanner for immediate identification. However, if your pet turns up in the few that do not, not much can be done in this case.

An annual visit to your vet to check that the microchip is still functioning, and making sure your contact information is always current are also highly recommended. A GPS collar is the latest and most adept form of pet tracking systems. Using the same technology found in automobiles, your GPS pet tracker allows you to pinpoint your missing pet’s exact location in real-time. Updates on the whereabouts of your pet are constantly available through your cell phone or Internet. GPS devices can vary in sophistication – some only give you the location of the missing animal, while others will tell you where your dog is and how to get there. Some devices even include a beacon to help spot your pet in the dark. Most of these devices can be attached to a dog’s collar and are battery-operated.

Make sure that the device you choose has an exchangeable and rechargeable battery, water resistant, and sturdy such as the SpotLight GPS Pet Locator. Created and developed in conjunction with the American Kennel Club CompanionAnimal Recovery (AKC CAR) team to reduce the number of lost dogs the SpotLight GPS Pet Locator includes an exclusive AKC CAR collar tag with a unique ID number that includes lifetime enrollment in AKC CAR’s Recovery Service. With this assurance, owners of the SpotLight GPS Pet Tracking system have access to the AKC CAR call center and the best recovery team available at all times. In conclusion, a microchip is an excellent option for permanent identification and a GPS locator is an excellent proactive tracking device for your pet. By protecting your pet with both GPS and a microchip you can rest assure that your pet will be safe and… found.

The Differences Between Micro-chipping and GPS Pet Locators courtesy of Dog Articles.

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