How To Prep Your Pet For The Holidays
by Dr. Linda Bender
Heading out for the Holidays but will your furry friends join you? Deciding whether to take “Fido” or “Fluffy” with you to Grandma’s or leave them behind when you travel can create separation anxiety for animals and their human families. More and more, people are choosing to bring their companion animals on holiday trips, after all, they are part of the family. Over 62% of households in the US have at least one compan-ion animal in residence. There are some important considerations to remember when you prep your pet for the holidays.
Although most dogs love a road trip, cats are less eager to venture out, but you know your friend better than anyone and are the best judge of whether or not to bring them along. Use common sense, never travel with an animal who is sick and when in doubt, check with your veterinarian. Although we cannot guarantee things will never go wrong, preparation and planning ahead will minimize problems and keep stress levels down.
Here are a few tips to help you make the right choices to prep your pet for the holidays, or any time of year:
Prep Your Pet For The Holidays – If Your Companion Pet Stay at Home
If you decide to board your pet, use a facility associated with your veterinarian. Never rely on advertisements or word of mouth, always physically go to the facility and inspect.
To insure the best care while you are gone, have a family member or someone who knows and loves your companion friends come and stay in your home.
A great option is to hire a sitter from your vet’s office to stay in your home while you are away – they love animals, can spot signs of illness, and are trained for emergencies.
Leave with sitter: Details about your trip, back up phone numbers, emergency contacts, your vets phone and address, and the phone and address of the nearest emergency clinic. Leave a list of toxic foods posted on your fridge. Leave photos of your companion animals just in case they wander.
To reduce anxiety issues while you are away: —Let your pet see you carry a piece of luggage out of the house with you (and return with it), a week or so before leaving. Animals are intuitive, they recognize luggage as a sign of departure, but they learn you do return! —Give your pets lots of love and reassurance before you leave. —Leave articles of clothing with your scent on it behind. Your familiar aroma is calming. –Make sure they have “comfort” toys like a stuffed animal and blanket to snug-gle. — Pheromones can be used for both dogs and cats to help with separation anxiety and stress. They work great with cat marking and spraying, and come in plug-in diffusers and sprays. — Studies have shown sending love and “intention” to return home travels through the psychic airways to your animal friends.
Prep Your Pet For The Holidays – Traveling by Car
Take a trial run in the car, try out a carrier, (cats should always travel in a carrier). Dogs should not ride in the front seat or roam free in car. Never transport animals in a truck bed.
Make a checklist of things to bring along including the basics – food, water, bowls, harness, leash, carriers, ID tags (computer chip IDs are very popular), health certificates, all medi-cations, comb and brush, (especially for shaggy coats), extra towels,. plastic bags, for cats bring portable litter pan and pooper scooper.
Three types of toys to bring along
1. Comfort, such as a blanket, or soft squeaky stuffed animals,
2. Action, such as balls
3. Distraction, stuffed with treats.
Bring photos of your pets along with you in case they wander.
Take along a first aid kit in case of common emergencies. It should include bandage mate-rial for cuts or wounds, gauze pads, scissors, antibacterial disinfectant, (Betadine, hydro-gen peroxide). Check with your veterinarian for details.
Never leave pets locked in a car alone and plan to stop every 2 hours for a potty break.
If you are traveling to someone’s home, make sure your animal friends are welcome.
Be mindful while visiting that your pet does not eat food that is toxic (chocolate, raisins, xylitol sweetener), keep a list and bring it with you. Make sure trash can lids are secure, and Christmas trees are securely anchored to the floor.
If you are staying in a hotel, make arrangements in advance, find pet friendly hotels and check the rules – some hotels will not take dogs over a certain size or weight, many won’t take cats. Ask if there are additional charges – for example, nonrefundable cleaning fees.
Take note, the top 5 “pet-friendly” towns in the US are:
1. Bar Harbor, Maine
2. Asheville, N. Carolina
3. Key West, Fla.
4. San Diego, Calif.
5. Austin, Texas
Prep Your Pet For The Holidays – Please Remember:
If you are feeding our precious wildlife friends, especially in winter – make arrangements to have someone fill feeders. They are depending on you as a source of food.
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About the Author
Linda Bender, DVM spent 14 years living in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, devoted to her veterinary work which included the rescue, rehabilitation, and protec-tion of wildlife. Her interest in spirituality and healing led her to found the Mind the Gap Wellness Center, as well as, one of the first pet-therapy program in Cincinnati. She is a co-founder of the nonprofit organization From the Heart. As an educator and author, Dr. Bender is dedicated to advocating for animals around the globe. She is author of the newly released book Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals (North Atlan-tic Books) which has been endorsed by Deepak Chopra, Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Larry Dos-sey and has been featured in the Huffington Post, Spirituality & Health, Natural Health Magazine , Modern Dog Magazine and more. lindabender.org
