A Healthy Pet Will Travel With Ease

By Valerie Marshall, Animal Land's Director of Marketing

Diet is always the first line of defense and is the foundation of health. A pet of sound mind and body will deal with the stress of traveling easier.

If your companion is consuming highly processed food that provides only minimal nutrition and includes any number of toxins such as chemical preservatives, food dyes, additives and fillers, his immune system is being depleted daily just to cope with his diet. Fresh food is the first step in building a strong immune system. Many people wait until their animal has a serious or chronic illness such as cancer, kidney disease or allergies (to name a few), to finally change the diet. Prevention is so much kinder and immeasurably more effective. Feeding a varied diet that includes as much fresh food as possible does take a bit more effort than scooping kibble out of a bag, but it is truly worth the effort in the long run.

One of the benefits of a healthy diet is a healthy gastrointestinal tract. If the digestive tract is weakened by inflammation from allergies or inflammatory bowel disease or other digestive disorders, even the nutrients in a healthy diet are harder to process and absorb. Healing and maintaining the digestive tract is vital to overall health and immunity. Digestive enzymes, probiotics and essential fatty acids all play a role in gastrointestinal health and proper digestion.

Exercise must also be mentioned for its role in helping build and maintain a strong immune system. Moderate exercise has been shown to improve immune factors in humans and animals. Weight control is also key – overweight animals are much more susceptible to chronic and acute diseases and infections. Proper diet AND exercise are needed to help with weight control.

Keep your pet's health in mind during the preparation of your move. It is just as important as acclimating your pet to his new travel crate. Make the commitment and the whole family will enjoy the venture more.

Happy travels,

Valerie Marshall

Prepare Your Pet for Summer Travel

As the summer heat approaches, we wanted to offer some tips to make sure your pets' travel during the summer is as safe and comfortable as possible!

Under Coat Removal: Most experts recommend against shaving your pet for the summer months. A dog's coat helps to protect his skin from the sun and provides insulation from the heat. Dogs don't sweat to cool themselves the way people do, so they don't need exposed skin to stay cool.

Shaving double-coated breeds like Golden Retrievers, German Shepards and Shelties does not keep them cooler as their undercoats help protect them from the elements. By shaving them down you destroy the natural protective properties their coats offer them.

However, regular brushing and combing to maintain the coat are important during the spring and summer months. If your dog is badly matted or tangled, their coat may actually trap the heat and humidity close to the skin, adding to their discomfort.

You can improve their comfort by removing just the dead undercoat as this will eliminate the natural barriers which can trap heat. Bringing your double-coated breed into a salon for a professional undercoat removal prior to departure is a great way to help them feel comfortable.

TRAVEL CRATES: Your pet will spend most of their travel time inside their travel crate. The following tips will help make this as pleasant as possible:
Acclimate your pet to his crate: The #1 most important step in the process! Please make sure you give as much time as possible for your pet to acclimate to their travel crate. Our previous post for some suggestions here: http://petmovers.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-prepare-pet-for-travel.html.

Ventilate all four sides: Every travel crate should be ventilated on ALL FOUR SIDES of the crate. If your travel crate does not have holes on the back, you can use a drill to make them. Depending on the size of your pet, we recommend that you drill even rows of holes, about 5 holes across and 3 rows down. The holes should be as big as possible, without your pet being able to stick his nose or paws through. Generally a half or 3/4 inch drill bit does the job.

Always Provide Water Dishes: The clip on bowls from the pet store work ok, however if you have a bigger pet, consider fastening a plastic Tupperware bowl to the door of the kennel with a zip tie. A great way to ensure your pet has access to water for as long as possible, freeze the water in each dish the night before travel. This will ensure it doesn't spill out during the ride to the airport.

Provide Suitable Bedding: The airlines require there to be "absorbent" material in the bottom of all travel kennels. We have found that shredded newspaper is the absolute best. A liberal amount is recommended. The newspaper is easily discarded at the other end and provides comfortable padding during the trip. An old T-shirt with your scent on it for comfort is also a good idea. Try to avoid thick blankets and beds as they trap heat during the summer.

Avoid Battery Operated Fans: While they are great for cooling your pet at home and in the car, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will no allow any batter operated devices on the plane. If you attach them, they will most likely be confiscated.