Should You Take Your Dog On Vacation?

For many, summer means vacations. When you are single and live alone, you can be ready at a moment’s notice. Throw in a dog or two, and you have some serious considerations to mull over before you even think of packing.

Even when you have a family, planning for a vacation becomes more complicated when you share your life with a dog. Should you leave him at a kennel? For many, that is out of the question. The indecision causes quite a few dog owners to bring their dog with them. It is not any easy decision no matter which way you decide.

However, there are some questions to ask yourself before you commit to answering the ultimate summertime question of pet owners: should you bring your dog on vacation?

1. Does your dog adapt well to new situations? If not, your fun trip may quickly escalate into a bad memory.

2. Do you have a responsible friend or relative who would enjoy taking your dog while you’re gone? If so, that’s always the safest bet!

3. How active is your dog? If you have a dog who requires a lot of activity, a vacation inside a hotel might be anything but fun for your pup.

4. Is your destination pet friendly? Many hotels allow pets but it’s certainly not the majority. Check ahead to see what they offer.

5. How much time will you spend in places where you can’t take your dog? Will you spend the majority of your time at a beach house or in the woods where your dog can accompany you or will you be spending hours on long lines for sightseeing tours, rides, and attractions?

6. Is your dog old? A sunny getaway may not be pleasant for an older dog who would prefer to just lay around in air-conditioning.

7. Does your dog love being in the sun and soaking up the summer? Or is does she get easily winded or overheated when the temps go up? If you have a breed that has special temperature concerns, it is probably best for your dog to stay home in a cool place than traipse after the family on vacation.

8. Have you explored non-traditional boarding? Look for services that set up owners and host families for a fee, like a kennel.If your dog loves people and new situations, a five star boarding experience just might prove more enjoyable than a five star hotel.

10 Strangest Items Swallowed By Dogs

My mother’s Schnauzer mix, Sha Sha, eats just about anything. I didn’t quite believe just how often she would quickly snap up everything in her sight until a few weeks ago when she swallowed a quarter and a nickel in the blink of an eye. The vet advised my mother to watch her for the next few days as the coins would likely pass. It’s a very common issue among dog owners and it doesn’t only happen with puppies. The majority of dogs do grow out of the need to eat inedible objects. It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what a puppy would eat so it’s best to be vigilant about where you dog is allowed to freely roam. Many dogs and puppies have been known to swallow seemingly unsuitable items, which you might not find in any way enticing or preferable, but they do. Check out this list of the strangest things swallowed by dogs as witnessed by the ASPCA :

Keep Your Dog Safe With These Holiday Safety Tips!

‘Tis the season for putting up decorations and eating delicious holiday treats, but that also means pets could be getting into serious trouble! Trupanion , a leading provider of medical insurance for cats and dogs, sees a 10% increase in foreign body ingestion claims and a 24% increase in toxicity claims during the holiday months each year. But you can keep your pets safe this holiday season with the below tips from Dr. Sarah Nold:

10 Most Common Medical Conditions That Send Dogs to the Vet

No one likes going to the vet, especially our dogs. Like many others, my dogs can sense when they are going way before we get there. They get nervous and hyper. Some dogs whimper endlessly at the vet’s office while countless others have fear-induced accidents right in the office. While regular check-ups and vaccinations are a necessary evil, we can try our best to keep our pups in optimal health thus avoiding another dreaded trip. Veterinary Pet Insurance compiled a list of the 10 most common medical conditions that send dogs to the vet. Some are unavoidable while others may be caught early on. Dr. Carol McConnell, DVM points out that many of the conditions that most regularly require vet visits “can be stopped early or successfully managed in partnership with a veterinarian. To prevent some of the discomfort that so many pets experience from common diseases, the place to start would be by checking them regularly for developing problems.” Check out the full list here at Babb

Some Puppy To Love

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