by: Richard Delgado
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In this issue:
1) "Let Me Recap Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips"
2) "Moving With Your Pet, Part 2"
3) "Tell Us What You Think!"
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1) "Let Me Recap Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips"
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Yes, Thanksgiving is upon us again. It marks the start of the big holiday
season, and it is a day for us to give thanks for all that we have, and
all that we have accomplished. When giving thanks for our husband, wife,
kids, parents, etc., don't forget to give thanks to our pets. They bring
us such joy and happiness, and we would feel a little empty without them.
I want to recap last year's Thanksgiving pet safety tips for you, so you
can keep your beloved pets safe so they can keep bringing you happiness.
Start---
Thanksgiving is upon us, and holiday festivities will be in full swing
for the rest of the year, and then some. For Thanksgiving, I want to
give you some more tips to keep your pets safe. This is part 2 of a
3-part series on Holiday pet safety.
Just like part 1 of our pet safety tips from Halloween, if you are
having a gathering at your home, be aware of where your pets are when
you are opening and closing the door to let your guests in. People tend
to linger in the doorway and exchange greetings, which leaves the door
open for a long while. Does your dog or cat bolt out the door? Will they
come when called? Keep the door open for as little time as possible, and
if your pets tend to run out, confine them to a room to prevent this from
happening. This also will prevent your guests from being jumped on by an
excited pet.
How do your pets react to large numbers of people, and to possible
strangers? You do not want your guests feeling uneasy, or threatened by
an aggressive pet. And, you do not want your pets to be all over your
guests when they are just trying to enjoy their time with you. If your
pets will be aggressive, or very overly friendly, or if this will cause fear
and stress for your pets, then confine them in a nice quiet part of the
house where they can be comfortable and stress free.
We are going to eat a very large, high fat meal at Thanksgiving, guaranteed.
Although our bodies can handle it (to some degree), our pet's intestinal
tract is not equipped to handle such a high fat diet. And, our pet's diets
are much less varied than ours. They eat the same meal every day. Giving
them table scraps of high fat content will cause upset stomachs, and
possibly diarrhea or vomiting. Do your pets a favor and just do not feed
them any table scraps, no matter how much they plead. You will thank me
for this. Besides, feeding your pets table scraps will create begging,
which is a hard habit to break.
Another reason not to feed your pets table scraps is that many of the things
we eat are toxic to your pets. Onions and garlic will cause anemia in pets.
Anemia is the reduced ability of the red blood cells to carry oxygen.
Chocolate is toxic to your pets and can cause heart problems, even leading
to death. Rasins and grapes are toxic to pets. These are linked to kidney
failure.
The cooking string from your turkey or roast can cause major problems if
your pet swallows it. Instead of the string passing through, the stomach or
intestine actually 'climbs up' the string, essentially turning itself inside
out. If your pet does swallow string, and you see it hanging out of your pet's
mouth, do not pull it out! This can cause the same thing I just mentioned.
Take your pet to the emergency vet immediately.
Speaking of turkey and roast, do not feed your pet the bones left over
from the turkey carcass, roast, or ham. When cooked, bones become brittle
and can splinter. These splinters can cause major internal problems in your
pets. They can also cause an obstruction. Just don't do it.
When the day is over, make sure to keep all garbage out of reach of your
pets. If your pet gets into the garbage, they may get hold of any of the
things I have just talked about.
If your pet will be out and about during the festivities, feed them before
you and your guests sit down to eat. Doing this will help curb your pet's
tendency to beg. You may want to keep them separated during the meal if
they tend to beg. You may also want to give them something to keep them
busy while you are enjoying your meal. Give them their favorite toy, or give
them a Kong filled with their favorite treat to keep them occupied.
All in all, you want to stick with the routine for your pets. The same food
at the same time will fill them up, and they will be happy. Be safe, you
are responsible for your pets.
So remember to think about keeping your pets safe and comfortable during
this Thanksgiving holiday. Think about how your pets may react to certain
situations, and plan accordingly to keep them out of harms way.
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2) "Moving With Your Pet, Part 2"
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I addressed moving with your pet(s) in my previous
newsletter, so now I'd like to add to that and discuss
moving to another state or even another country.
A RECAP
First, a few reminders from my previous article:
* Animals can sense your moods and emotions. The
pending move may stress you out, but try to keep a
positive attitude.
* Make sure your pet's identification collar/tags are
up-to-date with your new information. If your pet has
an embedded ID chip, make sure to update the
information with the company that holds your pet's
information as soon as you can.
* Be sure to get your pet's records so you can give
them to your new vet.
* When you begin your move, keep your pets' safety in
mind. If you need to move in and out with the door
open, keep your pets in a carrier or crate.
* Again, once you're in your new home, keep an eye on
your pets so they don't slip out an open door. They
might try to go back to their old home, even if that
old home is thousands of miles away!
MOVING TO A NEW CITY/STATE
Now, if your moving plans are taking you out of the
state, check with the Sate Department of Agriculture
for any laws/regulations about pet transport for your
new home state. Also check with your new home city for
restrictions such as leash laws, and any limits on the
number and types of pets you can own. For example, the
city of Fremont has specific regulations about
obtaining a license for cats and dogs. (See
http://www.ci.fremont.ca.us/Permits/OtherPermits/PetLicense.htm
for details.) You should find out as much as you
can via the internet and/or by calling the city
clerk's office.
One thing you will most likely need for any
destination is a rabies certification and a recent
health certificate from your vet that is no more than
10 days old.
Whether you're transporting your pet via car or plane,
it's best not to sedate them. It's better to get them
used to being in a crate and going for short trips
well in advance of your move to ease anxiety. Feed
them only a light meal about 6 hours before their
journey on a plane. Don't give them water too close to
flight time. Some water about 3 hours before their
flight should suffice.
For a car trip, feed your pet a few hours before you
head out. If it's a long trip, schedule periodic stops
for bathroom breaks. Be sure you have a supply of
food, water, towels, and any medication. You might
also want to include a first aid kit (for yourself as
well your pet!). If your trip has you staying at a
motel, check beforehand for motels that allow pets and
what their rules are.
ALOHA!
If you're moving pets to Hawai'i, be sure you check
(and double check) what you will need to do. One
information source is the State of Hawai'i website.
See
www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info for animal
quarantine information.
In the past, Hawai'i used to keep pets quarantined for
months. But today, with proper planning and by
obtaining all the necessary paperwork, you can get
your pets in and out of the quarantine station within
a few hours. There are specific and strict
requirements for this including obtaining rabies
certificates, blood tests, and a health certificate.
Here are some FAQs about the 5-day or less quarantine
program:
www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/faq5
Next, find out what you will need to do for your
airplane trip. Check your airline's website and also
call them to ensure you have all the requirements
covered. Note that no airline will transport pets in
the passenger cabin when traveling from the Mainland
to Hawai'i. Small animals can be checked in as
baggage, but larger animals will have to go as cargo.
The airlines will have specific requirements for the
type and size of crate you will have to use for each
animal.
A friend of mine recently got firsthand experience
transporting two cats and a dog from California to
Hawai'i on Hawaiian Airlines and reports that things
went pretty smoothly. She did have a problem earlier
when, after several phone calls, the airline reps
neglected to tell her that there was an embargo on
transporting animals during the summer months because
of the heat. She had to change the pets' transport
date from June to late October.
She made reservations for each pet when she bought the
ticket for herself because the airline allowed only a
limited number of animals on each flight. Hours before
the flight's departure, she took her dog for check-in
at the airport's cargo area. Then, she went to the
regular counter for the airline and checked in her
suitcases and the two cats. For each animal, she had
all the proper paperwork on hand and ready to show.
A few details:
* My friend's flight left San Francisco at 8:30 a.m.,
but she had to have her dog at the cargo area no later
than 5:30 A.M.
* After she checked the cats in, she had to accompany
them down to where they would wait to be loaded onto
the plane. The workers there asked her to take the
cats out of their crates so they could check the
crates themselves.
* The bottom of the crates were lined with soft pads
for comfort. My friend put "LIVE ANIMALS" stickers on
the crates and also printed up a photo ID to affix to
the back of the crate. Each ID had a photo, the pet's
name, sex, breed, ID Chip #, her cell phone number,
and the pet's destination address.
Once she arrived in Honolulu Airport in 'Oahu, where
the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility is
located, she walked from the airport terminal to the
station. The walk took just a few minutes. She did
have to ask directions because although there was a
sign for the station, it didn't indicate exactly which
way to go.
Once at the station, she had to hit a buzzer to be let
in. She presented her paperwork and waited for her
animals to be brought out. My friend had a bit of a
problem here. There was some miscommunication and she
had to wait longer than necessary for her pets. Just
be sure to be friendly, but persistent, when checking
on the status of your pets. My friend was told by one
worker that the pets were not even there yet and that
it would take at least 45 minutes to process them.
About 15 minutes later, another worker told her they
had been there all along and ready to go.
Be sure to have transportation ready to take your
pets. The station won't release them if you don't have
a vehicle or luggage cart. My friend called a taxi
that was large enough to carry all animals. (The
taxi's business card was posted at the station.) The
kind driver took her to a local dog park so her dog
could finally get a potty break and some fresh air and
water. The cats were a little scared, so they just
wanted to stay in their crates.
Since my friend's final destination was the Big
Island, their odyssey wasn't quite over yet. After the
dog's potty break, they drove to the cargo area at the
airport to drop off the dog, then returned to the
terminal and checked the cats in as luggage again at
the airline counter. She gave herself plenty of time
(about 7 hours) during the layover in 'Oahu to
accomplish all of this. That turned out to be
much-needed extra time because her flight into 'Oahu
was delayed for 1 and 1/2 hours, and it took quite
some time to wait for and pick up the animals at the
quarantine station, give the dog a potty break,
present papers to both the cargo area and check-in
counter, and go through airport security again.
Once she arrived at Kona International Airport, the
pets were released to her along with her luggage. It
was a very long day, but it was all worth it when she
was able to introduce her pets to her new home in
paradise.
A NEW COUNTRY
If you're moving to another country, check with that
country's consulate for any regulations or fees. For
example, if you go to
http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/archives/PR_e/pr_04_1109.htm
you can see an overview of the quarantine regulations
for Japan. Like moves to other cities or states, you
will most likely need rabies and health certificates.
There may also be quarantine laws you'll have to look
into. The best thing you can do is plan well in
advance for the move, especially if you have to deal
with quarantine issues.
As for your plane trip, check with the airline you'll
be taking since rules and restrictions may vary from
one to another.
I know this is a lot of information, but the more
homework and preparation you do before your actual
move, the better everything will be for your and your
pet(s)!
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3) "Tell Us What You Think!"
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We'd love to hear what you think of this issue! This is
just one issue, with much more important information
coming in future months.
Please send your comments, questions, and ideas for
upcoming issues to us at:
rdelgado@thewoofpack.com
Your feedback matters to us!
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Copyright 2006 by The Woof Pack.
All rights reserved.
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