DOGXTREME.COM: Active Dogs' Travel Tips...

Traveling with a Dog

Traveling? Looking for a new and exciting trail or dog friendly accommodations? Many hotels and accommodation cater to dogs today but some do it better than others. Need a VET, DogXtreme.com will soon offer online and mobile access to an expansive list of Veterinarians so help is a click away. Sit & Stay a while, check out our travel tips, airplane safety informaion for dogs, dog travel advisories and travel gear recommendations for the active dog.

Pet Friendly Hotels

Looking to travel with your dog and book a dog friendly hotel? Check out Kayak's selection below. You can search multiple hotels for the best price. Just look for the following icon . Check back frequently for tips on traveling with a dog.

Safe Air Travel for Pets

As a rule, pets travel very well but air travel can be a very stressful and traumatic experience for them. In order to minimize this stress, some guidelines should be followed.

Pre-Flight Precautions

The hazards of air travel are usually not in the actual flying, but rather during the down time when your pet is being loaded or unloaded from the airplane, or when it is waiting. Delays can result in extra time spent on the runways before take-off or after landing. At these times the cargo holds are not pressurized and the surrounding temperature can vary from very hot to very cold. In fact, because of this, some airlines will not permit pets to fly during certain times of the year. For this reason, it is best to contact your airline to make sure that no risk is involved and to confirm that they will accept your pet on the flight.

If your pet is small enough, some airlines will allow you to take your dog or cat on board, provided that the carrier fits under the seat in front of you. Check with your air carrier.

It is also a good idea to have your pet examined by your veterinarian prior to departure to ensure that it is in good health and able to endure the rigors of air travel. Tranquillizers and sedatives are not usually recommended for pets except on the advice of your veterinarian. This is because sedation can result in serious complications. For example, it can inhibit your pet's ability to regulate its body temperature or cause breathing problems.

The Actual Flight

For the actual flight, make sure that your dog is secure in an approved carrier, purchased either from the airline, a pet store, or an animal hospital. Introduce your pet to the crate several weeks before departure to get him or her accustomed to it. Ensure that all the screws on the crate are secured and tight. Carriers should be labeled "Live Animal" and "This End Up" in letters at least 3 cm high. Also tape some identification (name, address, destination) to the crate. Ensure that fresh water will be made available to your pet at some time during or after the flight.

It is best to travel in off-peak hours and on non-stop flights. Ideally, your pet should be last on and first off the plane. Remember to notify the flight attendants that you have a pet on board just in case there is a flight delay.

Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca

Airline Travel Regulations for Dog Travel

Safe Car Travel for Your Dog

Every year veterinarians see countless canine patients that have been injured in car accidents. Dogs can become severely injured in even mild car accidents if they are not properly restrained, and in some cases dogs accidentally fall or jump out of windows. Roaming dogs inside of cars can also cause the driver to get into an accident if their attention is on the dog and not on the road.

In a Kennel

A kennel is one of the safest ways to transport your dog in a vehicle. The kennel will help to keep your dog restrained, and in the case of an accident a kennel will help to reduce any possible injury to your dog. Always keep the kennel well padded with blankets, and place the kennel where your dog is getting plenty of fresh air. If the kennel does not fit snuggly in the car, strap a buckle or two around the kennel to ensure that the kennel remains secure.

Alternative Safety Measures

If you do not want to transport your dog in a kennel, then there are a variety of pet products that have been created to help pet owners keep their dogs safe in a car. Pet harnesses and seats are two of these products that will keep dogs in place during car travel; pet harnesses and seats will also help to reduce a dogs' chances of injuries if a car accident occurs.

Driver Tips

Pet owners can carry out their own safety measures as well to ensure the safest travel for their dog. If you want the windows down during the trip, make sure that your dog cannot jump or fall out of the windows. If the weather is especially hot or cold, get the car cooled down or warmed up before you begin the trip; periodically check on your dog as well to ensure that your dog is not suffering from extreme temperatures in the car.

Source: PetWave

Motion Sickness in Dogs

arsickness is a common problem in dogs. The successful resolution of carsickness often requires a combination of changes in travel management and administration of a prescribed medication. Each patient is unique, and the primary care veterinarian is the best individual to ascertain which of the possible strategies will be optimal for your pet. There could be underlying medical conditions that would affect the choice of medication, for example.

Management

1. Take very short trips. Start with just sitting in the car, then the local convenience store, and only gradually increase the length of the car trip as the dog builds tolerance.

2. Allow the pet to see outside the vehicle. This is known to help the vestibular apparatus maintain stabilizing output to reduce vertigo.

3. Provide lots of room to get up and move around.

4. Keep the vehicle cool and well ventilated.

5. Provide short "walkie" breaks every 1-2 hours so that the dog has an opportunity to experience absence of car motion regularly.

Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca