Pet Monologues

Before heading to the mountains with your canine companion this season, make sure he is equipped for the great outdoors.

Prior to leaving, take short hikes together and watch his reactions to surrounding stimuli.

Necessities to bring along include:

• His leash
• Dog ID tag
• First aid kit
• Dog travel bowls
• A dog bed

And of course, pick up after him and leave the trails in the same condition that you found them in!

To find out more about safe camping with your dog, read the full article here.

A dog needs dedication, time, patience, tenderness, and the desire and financial resources to make a lifelong commitment. Make sure you have what it takes to make a new pet happy.

First, ask yourself why you want a dog. There are many wrong reasons to adopt a puppy and many good reasons - be on the right page.

Second, make sure every member of your household is on board. If you’re all happy and committed, it is likely the dog will be happy as well.

Most importantly, be sure your have the proper financial standing to support a dog. A dog’s needs are basic: dog toys, food, grooming supplies and proper veterinary care.

To make sure you’re ready for pet parenthood, read the full article here.

Before bringing a new dog into your home, imagine how she will feel in uncharted territory. Make the transition go as smooth as possible by fully preparing for her arrival.

Necessary items you will need include:

• A dog crate
• A dog bed
• Dog toys
• Dog bowls
• A dog collar and a leash

Find out how to introduce your new canine companion to her home and view a comprehensive list of must-have items by reading the full article here.

Before bringing your dog on vacation this year, be aware of common problems that may arise when traveling with a dog.

Upset Stomach - Do not feed your dog eight hours before the trip. Remember to give her plenty of fresh air and bring some of her favorite dog toys to distract her.

Wanderlust - A new place has plenty of new smells that she will want to explore. Make sure to keep your dog’s ID tags on her at all times and keep her on a leash when outside.

Fleas and Ticks - Many precautions need to be taken to avoid infestation and disease, from avoiding the water to medication prior to travel.

Emergency Situation - Be sure to discuss emergency options with your veterinarian prior to leaving.

Find other common problems, solutions and precautions for traveling with your dog by reading the full article here.

Leaving your dog at home while you vacation can be stressful for both of you. Today, many people are bringing the family dog along for the ride. If your canine companion is going on a summer road trip with you this year, make sure you have the essentials for the car trip. At FetchDog, we’ve simplified a list of dog travel necessities to make the ride a little easier for you and the dog.

A few of our must-have dog travel items include:

• Travel Dog Bowl
• Portable Dog Crate
• Dog Toy
• Leash
• Dog Car Barrier

Read the full article here to ensure a safe and fun car trip with your dog.

Leaving your dog at home all day is no fun for either of you. Some mornings, it’s almost unbearable to see those eyes staring out the window when you leave for the office. But if you’re lucky, you work for one of a growing number of companies that not only allow but encourage dogs in the workplace.

If you’re bringing your canine companion to work for the first time, you’ll need to consider the needs of both your dog and your colleagues. It helps to be prepared, so you’ll want to bring these must-haves for the professional pooch.

• Dog bed: Even the cushiest corner offices have hard floors. Your dog will feel much more comfortable if you provide a cozy bed so he can lounge around while you work. If you plan to make workplace visits a regular occurrence for your pooch, you’ll want to pick up a special bed to leave at the office. With all the options available today, you’re bound to find something that suits your dog’s needs and your office décor.

• Dog bowls: While you’re hanging around the water cooler trading office gossip, your dog may be wishing he had a little water of his own. The excitement of meeting new people and visiting a new place is bound to leave your dog thirsty and hungry, so be sure to bring your own bowls for food and water. If your office is carpeted, you may want to consider a mat, as well, to keep spills and slurps at bay.

• Dog collar and leash: Even the most obedient of dogs get a little wound up in a new environment, and in your workplace, there are plenty of offices, closets, elevators, stairwells and cubicles to explore. A collar and leash will ensure that your dog stays by your side all day, even if one of your officemates brings a leftover T-bone for lunch. Still not convinced? Imagine your dog jumping up on your boss — who happens to be wearing a new designer suit. Not a pretty scene.

• Dog crate: Until your puppy is fully housetrained, a crate is an excellent idea. Puppies are both curious and friendly, and if you bring yours to work, you may spend less of your day on task and more of your day chasing him around — or cleaning up his messes. By bringing a portable crate to work, you’ll be doing yourself, your colleagues and your puppy a favor.

• Dog gate: Your adult dog may be housetrained, but he still likes to roam around, making friends and sniffing people. While your office may be fully dog-friendly, it’s common courtesy to keep your pooch in your office — and out of everyone else’s. A portable dog gate will help.

• Dog treats: Coming to the office is a big deal, and, of course, your dog will be on his best behavior all day. Be sure to bring a box of dog treats to reward him at every step of the way.

If you’re going, he’s going! What dog wouldn’t want a whole new territory to explore and sniff? Any trip is a chance to spend more time with you. Follow these tips so you and your dog can enjoy a bon voyage.

Does he have the right stuff?
It is important to be sure your dog is in the condition for travel, especially if going by air. Any dog can become stressed and uncomfortable during plane travel.

If your dog is laid back, friendly, and used to traveling in a carrier, the trip should be smooth sailing. On the other hand, a shy, aggressive, nervous dog that despises being cooped up may do best staying with a good pet sitter or at a boarding kennel.

Before embarking on any far away adventures, be sure to make a trip to the veterinarian. Several states, and many other countries, require valid documentation of vaccinations and proof of a clean bill of health. Make sure to check with the country’s consulate prior to international trips as some countries require a quarantine period.

While visiting the veterinarian prior to leaving, ask if your destination presents any risks for your dog’s health. For instance, some areas of the country have higher concentrations of diseases such as Lyme disease or heartworm infection, making preventative medicine a must before leaving.

Underexposed
If your dog’s comfort zone is your home, it is likely she will be nervous or scared around new people and busy places. Try to expose her to similar situations before the trip. For example, walk down a crowded street and introduce your pet to senior citizens, children, heavy people, thin people and handicapped people.

Left out in the cold
Call ahead to make sure wherever you are staying at your destination is pet-friendly.

Did you forget anything?
After you’ve packed all your necessities, focus on the essentials for your dog. Include all health certificates, medications, dog dishes, soap to clean bowls, a leash, a brush, flea and tick repellant, a pooper-scooper and plastic bags for easy clean-up, and of course, some treats for the road.

To make your dog feel most comfortable, bring along some familiar items that will remind him of home such as a blanket or his favorite dog toys. Do not remove your dog’s collar or ID tags at any point during travel just in case he takes off. It is always a good idea to carry current photos in the event that he does get lost.

Don’t drink the water
Your dog’s stomach is extremely sensitive, so anything foreign can cause an upset tummy. If possible, pack enough of his favorite kibble to last the duration of the trip.

If the trip is long-term, pack enough of your dog’s regular food so that you can gradually introduce a new diet without stomach upset. To do so, add a little more of new food to the regular food daily so that his stomach can properly adjust.

Tap water contains different minerals in different locations and can easily upset your dog’s stomach. Similar to food, bring enough of your dog’s usual water to last the trip, provide bottled water, or gradually expose him to new tap water by mixing it with his usual.

A quick fix
In case of an accident, bring along a first-aid kit for your pup. This kit should include any medications your dog takes or may need; a thermometer; tweezers, in case of a tick; gauze pads and bandages; scissors; adhesive tape; diarrhea medicine for dogs; and antibacterial ointment for his skin. Keep the phone number for your dog’s veterinarian on hand at all times in case of an emergency.

We’ve come a long way since a dog bed was regarded as a luxury, or a frivolous accessory. Dog beds certainly come in an impressive range of designer colors, patterns, and materials to coordinate with any type of decor. But don’t let the style details obscure the substance of dog beds: It’s not how they look but how they perform that really counts, because dog bedding is, in fact, a necessity. We’d go so far as to say dog bedding is one of the basics – the others being food, water, shelter from the elements – that responsible, caring owners really must provide.

Giving a dog a place of his own to snooze on does much more than protect your home furnishings from wear and tear; a canine crash pad gives Spot a priceless sense of security. With his own bed, Spot has a soft place on which to rest his head that’s his and his alone, a place where he can repair to chew a bone, play with his favorite toy or meditate on chewing a bone or playing with toys. Think of your dog’s bed as the doggie version of “A Room of One’s Own.”

But dog beds become absolute requirements as our canine companions grow older, particularly if they happen to be large or giant breeds. Dogs with arthritis suffer from stiffness and pain, and reclining on a bare, hard floor is very tough on their already-compromised joints. Providing a dog bed that’s durable and well-made enough to support an old dog is key to keeping Spot happy and comfortable, so he’ll be well-rested to really enjoy his next outing or walk.

You select a mattress and pillow for yourself that will offer your neck and back the most supportive comfort between chiropractic visits, night after night, and you really should do the same for your dog. Remember, however, that dogs sleep a lot more than we humans do, averaging about 16 hours in the sack per day. So in addition to combining the mattress-plus-pillow concept into a single item of doggie furniture, a good dog bed also must be designed so it won’t flatten out like a pancake, robbing your dog of the comfort he craves. And that means you’d be wise to select an orthopedic dog bed.

“Orthopedic dog beds are specially-designed for dogs that have chronic arthritis, chronic back pain (i.e. from non-surgical slipped disks), or just age-related muscle atrophy and soreness as experienced by elderly people,” explains Dr. Andrew J. Kaplan of City Veterinary Care in New York City. “These conditions make it harder for your dog to get in and out of their bed, interfere with their ability to have a restful sleep, and can predispose them to pressure sores.”

Ease of access is a key feature of an orthopedic dog bed, so that Spot won’t experience discomfort while trying to achieve ultimate comfort. “The bed should be constructed so that dogs can walk into their beds without having to step up and onto it,” Dr. Kaplan says. “There are a variety of materials available, but the best to consider is memory foam because, by reacting to your dog’s body temperature and weight, it conforms to every curve of your dog’s body so support is strongest where he or she needs it most. The foam also provides the necessary padding to prevent pressure sores over bony points of the elbows and hips.”

Memory foam is graded in pounds, with 5 lbs. being the highest; the higher the rating, the more support the bed will give your dog, and the longer the bed will last.

Send in a photo of your favorite pet for a chance to win an exciting price from http://www.piedmontpets.com. Piedmont Pets is happy to announce that we are accepting entries for the 2009 Spring Photo Contest. First prize winner will receive $50 gift certificate, Second prize winner will win $25.00 gift certificate and third prize winner will receive a one year subscription to The Piedmont Pets “TaggedIAM” pet protection program. All prizes are to be redeemed at PIEDMONTPETS.COM

We’ve noticed that many people like to get their canine companions a dog bed as a holiday gift.  And why not?  They’re fuzzy, cozy, luxurious and available in holiday colors.  However, too many people go about selecting a dog bed all wrong.  There are three primary questions you need to answer when choosing a dog bed:

1.  Is my dog large or small?  This may seem obvious, but too many people choose that cute round dog bed because it fits perfectly between their sofa and fireplace and it matches the rug.  But guess what?  Their yellow lab doesn’t fit in it!

2.  How does your dog like to sleep?  Is your dog a a curler, a leaner, a sprawler or a burrower?  Each of these sleep styles dictate a different shaped bed.  Curlers prefer the security of donut beds.  Beds with bolsters or another type of back support are best for leaners.  Sprawlers need a bed with flat sides such as a pillow or cushion style.  And there are special dog beds specifically for burrowers that have extra fabric for your pooch to nuzzle her nose under and crawl in.

3.  Do you need the dog bed to have any special attributes such as heated, weather resistant, or perhaps your older dog needs an orthopedic dog bed.

Fortunately most dog beds come in an array of colors and fabrics allowing you to find a dog bed that will satisfy your pooch without compromising your decor.  Just ask Millie (below).