Tips For Travelling In Comfort With Your Pets

There's nothing like a good holiday and if you are taking your pets on vacation with you, its
important that the whole family (pets included) are happy and relaxed on the journey and arrive safely.

Here's a short guide to travelling happily with your pets:

Before your trip
Your pets should wear id tags with your home address and holiday destination address included

If you are travelling overseas, be sure that you understand the requirements of Pet Travel Scheme

Before you travel abroad, speak to your vet about the country you will be visiting and ask for advice on suitable anti-parasite treatment.

Plan Your Journey
Remember animals can fall victim to motion sickness. It is important that your pet does not travel on an empty stomach, so feed a small amount of food before you travel, but allow at least two hours before you set off.

Remember to include frequent stops for exercise and toilet breaks (for humans as well as pets!)

Keep pets on lead / leash when exercising...they may be nervous of strange places, sights and sounds

Check on your pets regularly and take enough food & water, litter supplies and bedding for the journey

Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated to keep it cool (especially when stationary)

When you arrive at your holiday destination, look for a vet, as you may need his services. This is especially important when travelling overseas as your pet will need a certificate for treatment of parasites within 48 hrs of your return to the UK

Packing For Your Pet
I've put together a short list of stuff you will find useful on your journey. You can find many of these items at Alphapetshop

- Bed/blanket
- Collar with tags containing holiday & home details
- Bowls for food & water
- Lead/leash
- Food & water for journey
- Poop scoop (dog)
- Carrier/transporter (cat/small pet)
- Brush/comb
- Toys
- Litter (cat/small pet)
- Disinfectant/wipes
- Pet documentation (for international travel)

Enjoy your vacation and remember - its all in the planning!

Neutering...Or Not?

I've been receiving lots of questions about neutering and whether its a good idea, so I'm just going to give you the facts here, and it would be great to gather some opinions from you, so please get in touch.

Neutering - The Definitions

Spaying (Female) - (ovario-hysterectomy) is the surgical removal of her reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes)

Castration (Male) - (orchectomy) is the surgical removal of the reproductive glands (testicles) of the male animal. The outer sac remains, and the animal's appearance afterwards will depend on his age at the time of the surgery.

Let's Start with Cats and Dogs:

Male & female dogs and cats mature quickly. They are often
able to reproduce when they are as young as 6 months of
age, with bitches coming into season every six months for
the rest of their lives.

Neutering - The Benefits

Neutered animals tend not to roam to look for a mate.

In males, castration reduces the chances of developing diseases of the prostate and prevents testicular cancer.

It also reduces behavioural problems like aggression, urine spraying (and bonking the cushions!).

In females, spaying decreases the incidence of mammary (breast) cancer, especially if the animal is spayed before her first season (my preference).

It also prevents a very serious and often fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra).

Spaying also helps with behavioural problems caused by hormonal changes when females come into season.

Some owners prefer to wait until after the first heat as the animal's organs have a chance to mature. However, each time she comes into season she's at greater risk from cancer, so unless she's to have puppies/kittens, my advice
is to spay early!

Female cats will continuously come into season from spring to autumn until mated and then will mate again as soon as their kittens are born.

Now For Small Pets:
Neutering is usually carried out under general anaesthesia and this can pose a risk to small pets.

The best sources of information for owners of small pets are species specific websites. These website discuss the benefits and disadvantages of neutering your small pet in much more detail than I can provide here. Follow the links
for advice:

Ferrets

Rabbits

Guinea Pigs

The simple fact is that spaying and neutering greatly increases the lifespan of your pet and increases quality of life as well!

Note: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the statements made are accurate no responsibility can be taken by the author for the interpretation of the points made or for the success or failure of any of these procedures. If you are considering neutering please discuss it with a qualified veterinary surgeon who will undertake the operation on your instructions.