Sherpa Makes It Simple to Fly With Fido or Fluffy

When it comes to on-board airline carriers for pets, no one (in my opinion) beats Sherpa Pet Group for quality. I was introduced to the company the first time I flew with my dog Jade (then a 4 month old 5lb puppy) and my breeder lent me her Sherpa carrier to bring Jade into the airline cabin with me.

What I learned on my first airline flight with Jade is that Jade hates flying. You know those cartoon animals who put all four feet out and manage to prevent themselves from being pushed through a doorway or shoved into a container of some sort? That’s Jade. When I had to go through security I literally begged the TSA agent to use the wand on the Sherpa carrier containing Jade rather than make me take him out, put the Sherpa through the x-ray machine, and attempt to convince Jade to get back in the carrier. Unfortunately TSA agents are immune to begging. And Jade, my little treat hound, suddenly became immune to bribes when I offered every treat I had in an attempt to get him back into the carrier. To this day I’m not sure exactly how I finally convinced Jade (who could have auditioned for the circus with his contortionist act that he trotted out every time I tried to place him in the carrier) to go climb back into his Sherpa.

Convincing Jade that being in his Sherpa was a good thing was not my only problem. Since this was my first time flying with Jade (or any animal for that matter) I had no idea what the rules were about bringing an animal in the cabin with me. So I have to applaud Sherpa Pet Group for launching it’s new Guaranteed On-Board program. Over half a dozen airlines are currently participating in this program, which is free to all airline passengers. A passenger who wishes to bring a pet into the cabin with him or her, simply needs to go to www.flygob.com and click on the desired airline (not all airlines currently participate in the program). Fill out and print the airline’s form, review their rules and regulations, and bring the form with you when and present it to a boarding agent. Be sure to review the rules carefully as some airlines require that you make reservations in advance for your pet - even if the pet is going to be with you in the cabin. Learn more at www.flygob.com.

Why You Should Expose Your Bird To The Great Outdoors

A surprising number of bird owners walk their birds. I’ve seen a beautiful white cockatoo on a tether strolling around the Lafayette reservoir with its owner; one time at the post office I encountered a man who had his parakeet in a cage (I spoke with briefly and he said that he tried to take his bird out as often as possible).

Exposing your bird to the great outdoors is a wonderful way to expose your bird to natural sunlight, provide variety to his day-to-day routine, and provide you and your bird with some quality bonding time. Keeping your bird on a harness well help ensure your bird’s safety. Harness Training Your Bird provides excellent step-by-step instructions for teaching your bird to be completely comfortable wearing a harness.

In the winter months, the cold weather will prevent the vast majority of bird owners from taking their feathered friend on outdoor excursions. Vitamin absorption, egg production, molting schedules, and waking/sleeping schedules are all directly influenced by the amount of sunlight to which your bird is exposed.

Putting a full-spectrum light (be sure to choose one specifically designed for birds and bird cages) in or near your bird’s cage will provide your bird with all the benefits of natural sunlight. In addition, you can attach a perch to a window, or put your bird’s cage near a window. This has the double benefit of allowing your bird to experience some natural sunlight, while allowing your bird to benefit from some new sights and sounds.

How (Not) To Pack For Your Pet

(A special thank you to my parents and their dog Shana who provided fodder for this blog posting). Packing for a trip involving only humans can be difficult enough. When you are packing for a pet as well, the whole process becomes significantly more complicated. Here are some tips to make the process a bit easier:

Tip 1: Pay No Attention to the Weather Forecast

My parents recently left on a week-long trip to Oregon. They brought their Coton Shana with them because this is predominately a hiking trip vacation and Shana loves the Oregon woods better than just about any place she has ever been. If you have ever been to Oregon you know it rains. A lot. So, prior to leaving, my mother insisted I accompany her in her search for a raincoat for Shana. I am not at all sure WHY I was brought on this search since a) I was not going on this trip, b) I was definitely not the one who needed said raincoat, and c) I saw no reason whatsoever to buy a doggy raincoat when Petlane makes an absolutely wonderful one called the Ruff Weather Coat. When I brought this up however, I was informed that Shana would be entirely too hot in our raincoat (which is lined with a lightweight fleece).

My parents left for Oregon on Thursday. Friday I received a call. Could I please package up and send, overnight delivery, the following items: 1) my mom’s right hiking boot (apparently she had brought one sneaker and hiking boot - but only really needed the hiking boot), 2) Shana’s sweatshirt (because the dog who was going to be too hot was so cold she was shivering), and 3) you guessed it, a Ruff Weather Coat.

I must say that I give the post office worker immense credit though. He didn’t so much as bat an eyelash when I walked up to the counter, dumped a hiking boot, 2 doggy sweatshirts, and a doggy raincoat on it, and announced that I needed this to get to Eugene, OR by tomorrow and needed advice on the best way to make that happen.

Tip #2: Don’t Bother Sealing The Water Container

Dogs (and all animals actually) naturally get thirsty on long car rides. In preparation for this trip, my mom had packed a water bottle and a small bowl specifically for Shana’s use. So, about four hours into the trip, my dad pulled over at a rest stop to stretch his legs and let Shana out to walk around and get a drink. I’m not entirely clear on the exact circumstances, but my understanding is that the top was not properly screwed onto the bottle (how the bottle did not empty itself out in the car is anybody’s guess). Anyway, the upshot is that apparently both Shana and my dad wound up looking like they had been in the drink as opposed to having one (which leads me to ask from exactly what height my dad was pouring the water - because usually when I fill a bowl for the dogs from a cup or bottle, I squat down next to the bowl and pour the water into it. In this scenario, the only way Shana could have gotten wet was if she was standing in the bowl at the time water was being poured into it. Of course, knowing Shana and her love of water, this is not an entirely unimaginable scenario.)

Tip #3: Assume Your Food is Actually Your Food

There is something about road trips that demands that you take complete leave of your otherwise sensible eating habits and indulge instead in fast food snacks. And if you have a dog travelling with you, you had better be prepared to share those snacks. When you are travelling by car and you stop for a bite, one of two things is going to happen: 1) It is too hot for you to leave your pet in the car so you go through a drive-through and remain in the car while you eat. In this scenario your dog is going to go through every trick in the book to convince you that he is dying from hunger and that only by you sharing your McDonald’s hamburger with him will he in fact survive the next 10 minutes. The experienced traveller is prepared for this and simply buys two hamburgers in the first place. 2) The second scenario is that it’s actually cool enough (say around 50 degrees or so) for you to leave your dog in the car with the windows at least partly rolled down while you devour a quick meal at a local restaurant. In this case, you are probably going to try to get a seat by the window so that you can keep an eye on your dog and your car. Your dog will then inevitably spend your entire meal staring through the windshield with that look of pathetic longing on its face that only a dog can achieve. In this situation you will either wind up racing through your meal and then stopping at the nearest drive-through to buy your dog a hamburger and assuage your guilt, or race through 1/2 your meal, scooping up the remains in a doggy bag, and allowing your dog to munch away happily while you resume your trip.

What do you do to prepare for travel with your pet?

What About ME?!

I have just returned from a week-long trip to Mexico. While I was gone, my dog Jade stayed with my parents. I returned home very late on Saturday night, and went over to my parents on Sunday to pick up Jade. When I walked in the door, Jade ran over and demanded pets and attention. He jumped on the couch when I sat down (well, he didn’t jump exactly - more like ran up the doggy steps my parents have so he can get off and on the couch easily) and nudged my hand (his way of demanding I scratch his ears) and licked my face. The “oh wow! Oh mom’s home! Oh I missed you mom!” lasted exactly three minutes.

Three minutes after walking in the door, my mom came into the kitchen to hear about my trip. Jade, without so much as a backward glance ran for my mom. When she came and sat on the couch, he cuddled up in her lap. When I stood up to leave - and called for Jade -Jade looked at me, looked at my mom, looked in the direction of where my parents keep the treats, and pressed his head against my mom. (I

I stood there, staring at my dog. “What about ME?!” I demanded. “You’re supposed to love ME!” As it turned out (as I offered various treats in an attempt to convince Jade that moving was actually worthwhile) , Jade loves Beef Jerky more than he loves either my mom or me. What sort of a response do you get from your pet when you come home from a trip?

Carriage Horse Controversy - Part II

“We’re trying to keep a 19^th century tradition alive in the 21^st century!” That seems to be the rallying cry for those who believe that the tradition of offering horse and carriage rides to tourists should come to an end.  This post looks at some of the reasons a handful of veterinarians, animal activists, and one city councilman are fighting to put a stop to the horse-drawn carriage tourist trade.

There appear to be three main components to the argument to ban horse-drawn carriages.  First, activists point to the fatality rate of carriage horses.  In an undated posting, the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages stated that, since 2006, 3 carriage horses have died and 6 people have been hospitalized owing to carriage related injuries. Just to put this in perspective, PETA states that at least 800 racing thoroughbreds die each year in North America alone because of injuries.

Second, there is a fair amount of controversy over carriage horses living and working conditions.  Claims have been made that the horses live in stalls that do not allow them to turn around or lie down (although horses stand the majority of the time, they do need to be able to lie down for approximately four hours in a 24 hour period).  Veterinarian Holly Voorheesville, in a 1989 letter to the New York Times writes “The majority of the horses are housed in unsafe, unhealthy and inhumane conditions. Most of the stables are firetraps, housing horses on second and third floors, in stalls too narrow for their occupants and on pitted floors that permit pooling of urine and manure. Stall cleaning and bedding seem nonexistent, ventilation and light are grossly inadequate, and access to water is rare.”

Third, protesters claim that the horses are forced to work under unhealthy and inhumane conditions under which the horses work.  According to an article in  Newsweek “studies have shown that animals exposed to pollution have suffered emphysema, cancer and accelerated aging.”  The same article suggests that animals are being forced to work in both extreme cold and extreme heat.  The article states that “in New York horses are supposed to be taken off the roads if temperatures reach above 90 or below 18 degrees Fahrenheit, but official weather readings are frequently an inaccurate reflection of the actual temperature on the streets. In summer, for example, the temperature of the asphalt on the street can be 50 degrees higher than a standard weather report, according to a Cornell University study, and humidity can add another dozen degrees on top of that.”

Should the horse and carriage trade be banned from New York?  What are your thoughts?

Carriage Horse Controversy - Part I

Late last year, I published a post entitled Carriage Rides in Central Park - How To Ensure a Safe Ride. This post sparked more controversy than any post I have published to date.  Several people pointed out that, despite their being rules and regulations for carriage horse owners and driver follow, many horses are overworked in cruel and dangerous conditions.  One reader fought back arguing that carriage horses are well loved and cared for.  The vast majority of discussion centers around carriage horses in Central Park, so I did a little digging and would like to present both sides of the story.  This post will cover the argument that carriage horses are a good addition to New York and should be allowed to remain where they are. 

It seems to me that best place to start is straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were.  The following information comes from The Horse and Carriage Association of New York - one of the major organizations responsible for the health and welfare of carriage horses and for ensuring that carriages are licensed, insured and driven by trained and professional drivers.

Their first point is that horses, like humans (and other domesticated animals) need a job.  Like humans, horses require exercise, stimulation, and companionship.  The horses used in Central Park have been specifically bred and trained for harness work.  These horses are a very different breed than the ones you see riding in show ring or find available for lessons at your local stables.

Carriage horses work an average of 7 hours a day (although law allows 9), 4-5 days a week.  They rest 15 minutes every working hour.  All carriage horses are fitted with special shoes designed to for walking and trotting on asphalt and concrete.  They are examined weekly by a veterinarian and are immunized yearly.

When not on duty, horses live in stalls that are large enough to allow them to stand, lie down, and turn around comfortably.  Two to four months out of the year, the horses “vacation” in Pennsylvania Amish Country.

Most horses work for about eight years.  Upon retirement, they are sent either to an adoptive family (the Humane Society of New York for example has a carriage horse adoption program) or to a sanctuary.  They are never sold for slaughter.  I decided to take a random sampling of horses across the nation, horses that are currently living in sanctuaries.  Every horse I saw had been starved, and/or was suffering from an illness or injury (all are being cared for by the organization).  What struck me was that every horse was of the type used for daily riding or racing.  Not one horse could have passed for a carriage horse.  And while I have certainly seen my share of horses that needed better care, I don’t think I have ever seen a carriage horse that fits that bill.

I want to hear from you!  Are you a carriage driver?  Horse lover?  Animal advocate?  Tell me your thoughts and I’ll make sure your comments are published. difference between zovirax and valtrex

Scratch No More: Preventing the Spread of Poison Oak and Ivy from Pets to Humans

“That’s poison oak. That’s poison oak. That’s poison oak. That big patch of vegetation the dogs just ran through? That’s poison oak.” As you can probably gather, the trail we were hiking on had poison oak. A lot of it. And the friend who was accompanying me had the same phobia about poison oak that I do about sharks and other people have about spiders or heights.

If you live and hike just about anywhere in the United States, chances are good that you will encounter poison oak, poison ivy, or more rarely, poison sumac. As a result (assuming that you are not prepared to give up hiking and your dogs are not prepared to give up playing games of chase in poison oak/poison ivy/poison sumac) covered fields you should never hike or camp without carrying  Tecnu Original Outdoor Skin Cleanser.

Tecnu (and by the way, I am in no way affiliated with this company - I am simply someone who has used and loved this product) is a cleanser that, when used within 2-8 hours after exposure to the plants, can remove urushiol oil (that’s the oil that creates the rash and causes you to itch like crazy) before the rash begins. Once the rash has started, washing with Tecnu helps remove any free oil on skin allowing the natural healing process to begin without possible re-contamination.

The great news is that this product can be used on just about anything - including pets. According to the Tecnu website, dogs, cats, horses and other furry pets can become contaminated by urushiol oil and can transfer poison oil to owners without being affected themselves. Saturate a cloth with Tecnu and wipe down the pet’s coat. Then follow with a pet shampoo and water bath. IMPORTANT: DO NOT LEAVE TECNU ON FUR. IT MUST BE COMPLETELY WASHED OFF WITH SHAMPOO AND WATER. Happy hiking.

The Dog is Fine, It's the Owner Who Has Separation Anxiety

Jade was approximately 4 months old the first time I took a trip without him. My parents and I were going on a family vacation and we had asked two good friends of ours, Amy and Lisa, to house and pet sit (at this time, the pet portion of the Nemeth family consisted of Taj the Puli, Kicsi the Komodore, Symphony the cat, and of course Jade). Amy and Lisa were (and are) animal lovers. All the animals were very familiar with and adored Amy, and Lisa is one of those people to whom animals naturally gravitate towards. As a result, Amy and Lisa were extremely understanding about the fact that I left them a 3 page (single space) document clearly outlining the best ways to care for Jade.

My document covered everything from where Jade liked to sleep (on the bed on whatever pillow you are using) to how he liked to eat (Jade was afraid of bowls as a puppy and would only eat from a Kong toy). I kept in touch with Amy (and Jade) via e-mail updates and I called. A lot. When I returned home, it was clear that Jade was happy to see me. He did “sulk” for one night (he slept at the foot of the bed instead of on the pillow with me), but since I was convinced that Jade would have developed severe and untreatable separation anxiety as a result of my being gone, spending one night at the foot of the bed didn’t seem to bad.

The next time I had to travel without Jade my parents were able to care for Jade. I was definitely calmer this time. Jade LOVES my parents (especially my dad) so I only left one page of instructions. And I only called once per day. Unless I got an answering machine. Then I called throughout the day until someone answered.  When I got home, Jade ran to greet me. When we started out the door to go to my car however, Jade kept glancing back at my dad - hoping I’m convinced that my dad would offer some sort of edible bribe which would give Jade a reason to stay. It was pretty clear in this case that while I had missed Jade, Jade was going to miss my dad giving him a steady diet of treats.

Currently I’m writing from a hotel in Las Vegas. I’m here attending a pet product trade show and Jade is home with my dad. I miss him horribly. The good news is that there are tons of vendors here with dogs, so I can have a pet fix whenever I need it. The better news is that a lot of these vendors sell dog treats, and provide free samples.  I figure that if I can offer Jade a doggy treat buffet upon my return, he won’t experience any anxiety over being separated from my dad, his best treat supplier.

Pet Safe Ice Melt

Although it may be cold and icy outside, your furry family will still spend portions of the day outside. De-icing of sidewalks and driveways may prevent deadly falls, but the ice melt products themselves can be deadly.

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ice melt products in the winter. Children, pets, surfaces and the environment can be adversely affected by the use of these products.  For dogs, in particular, exposure to salt-based ice melt products can mean an unhealthy winter with multiple trips to the vet.

Salt-based ice melters sit on ice and snow for a long period prior to penetrating into the ice. When let outside, dogs frequently eat the snow and ice thereby ingesting these pellets. The pellets also get frozen to their paws. Once back inside, the ice melts and dogs begin to lick their paws.  The salt can heat up as high as 175 degrees and not only burn their skin but their mouth and digestive system.

 Salt and salt residue left over from these products also causes permanent damage to asphalt, concrete, wood decks, floors and rugs and can harm the environment, including burn and kill lawns and plants and contaminate well and drinking water supplies.

The good news is that there are alternatives to harmful salt-based ice melts.  This winter season, look for an ice melt that is safe for your family, your pets, and the environment.

Carriage Rides in Central Park - How to Ensure a Safe Ride

For many of us, a carriage ride seems to be the epitome of romance. Carriage rides abound in just about every city in America, brides are frequently driven to their wedding in a horse and carriage, and even in winter cities like Lake Tahoe, NV offer horse drawn sleigh rides.  In New York, the holidays bring a surge of tourists to Central Park clamoring for carriage rides.  The vast majority of the carriage drivers are good people who take excellent care of their horses.  Indeed, in New York City cruelty to horses is a crime and carriage drivers, according to the ASPCA, must adhere to the following rules:

I am completely for “dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh,” and as long as you are confident that your driver is putting his horse first, you can be comfortable “laughing all the way.”  If you suspect a carriage horse in New York is being abused, you can contact a number of New York authorities including the New York City Department of Health, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and the New York City Police Department.