By Dr. Sophia Yin

Memorial Day Weekend has passed signaling summer is right around the corner. For many, it's time to start planning ahead for major vacations. Whether it's an extended road trip or a visit to the home of relatives some of the 77 million dog owners and 88 million cat owners will want to take their pets. Here are some tips to make traveling with your pet safe and enjoyable.

Identification

Tags and microchip: Your pets should wear a sturdy collar or harness with ID tags containing your pet's name and your cell phone number or some other number where you can be reached while traveling. Consider also getting your pet microchipped.

Photos: Bring a set of recent photos of your pet. You can tape them to their crate.

Health and Medical Needs

Get a health check or health certificate. Pets going on an extended trip should have a health check by their veterinarian beforehand. Those traveling on planes will need a health certificate within 10 days of traveling.

Bring your pets regular food and bring water in a bottle. Be sure to place the food in an airtight container. If you keep it in its regular bag, your dog or cat is sure to raid it at some point.

Remember to offer your pet water. You can use a bowl that attaches to the pet's crate and won't be knocked over. Or you can get a spill-proof bowl and leave it out. If you're going to take extended walks or hikes, bring along portable bowls.

If the weather is hot use a garden sprayer as a water mister. Dogs and cats don't tolerate hot weather as well as humans because their primary method for dissipating heat is by panting. If you're spending much time outdoors with them consider bringing a garden sprayer, filled with water so that you can mist the pets when needed.

Consider flea and heartworm prevention if you're traveling to locations with fleas or heartworm. To look for heartworm incidence by location, go to http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article_43.html, where you can download incidence maps.

When Riding in a Car

Your dog should wear a seatbelt, ride in a crate or otherwise be secured in the back seat.

Cats should ride in a cat carrier. For safety purposes, you may elect to have cats wear a harness and leash even when in their crate so that you have a way to handle them if they suddenly bolt when you open their door.

Crates and carriers serve a dual purpose of acting like your pet's palace and safe place when you visit new homes, hotels, and other unfamiliar places. Pets should first be trained to love their crates. You can place all of their meals in their crate and let them walk in and out anytime they want until they learn to associate the crate with good things. (See handout Training Cats and Dogs to Love Their Crates).

Pets can also be trained to love car rides by first letting them sit in the car while getting treats, and then taking them on short rides where they end up in places they like. (See handout Training Cats and Dogs to Enjoy Car Rides).

Other Essentials

Make sure to bring things that help your pet feel comfortable, secure and relaxed—toys, bones to chew on, and food puzzles to help them pass the time.

For cats, remember to bring a litter box. You can place a box with litter in a larger covered plastic storage box so the litter doesn't spill or stink the car up. Then open the box when you want to give your cat the opportunity to potty.

Nancy Kay, DVM

If the sounds of a canine or feline “scratchfest” is interrupting your slumber, or you’re snarling, “Stop scratching!” several times a day, chances are you have an allergic pet on your hands. Just as with human hay fever, most dog and cat allergies are the result of an exaggerated immune system response to allergens in the environment such as plant pollens, tree pollens, and mold spores. The scientific name for this inherited allergic condition is atopy or atopic dermatitis. Terriers of any type are notorious atopy sufferers along with Dalmatians, Lhasa Apsos, Shar-peis, Bulldogs, and Labrador Retrievers.

Whereas people are prone to runny nose and eyes, dogs and cats with atopy develop itchy skin, often accompanied by skin and ear infections. Symptoms are initially mild and seasonal, but tend to progress year by year in terms of severity and duration. Fortunately, there are many options for treating atopy including medicated shampoos, antihistamines, fatty acid supplements, and drugs that alter the immune system’s overzealous behavior (cyclosporine, cortisone). Just as for people, desensitization injections can be administered after specific testing is done to determine which allergens are provoking the immune response. Elimination of exposure to the allergens may also be an option (a good excuse to move to Hawaii!).

Some dogs and cats develop allergies to their food. This can result in year round itchy skin, ear infections, and/or gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, gassiness). If a food allergy is suspected, your veterinarian will recommend an “elimination food trial.” This requires strict adherence (including elimination of your pet’s favorite treats) to feeding a novel protein diet for six to eight weeks. There are many such diets to choose from these days that contain duck, rabbit, venison, salmon, and even kangaroo! If the chronic symptoms disappear in response to the diet change, voila, the diagnosis of food allergy has been made. One must then hope that, over time, the animal doesn’t develop an allergy to the new diet!

Lastly, some dogs and cats develop an allergy to fleas, more specifically, to the flea’s saliva. Whereas many fleas are required to cause most animals to scratch like crazy, for those with a flea allergy, just one bite is all it takes to set off an intensely itchy reaction that can last for days. The best treatment for this allergy is stringent flea control, or relocation to Colorado; fleas don’t survive in high altitude locations!

‘Tis the season for fleas and seasonal atopy. Do you have an itchy dog or cat on your hands? If so, what will your strategy be to soothe your pet’s itch and preserve your sanity?

Best wishes to you and your four-legged family members for abundant good health,

Once your dog has passed their Therapy Dog International certification, it's time for the fun to begin. These places are always looking for registered therapy dogs to brighten the day of the patients and residents:

Excela Health Home Care and Hospice (Westmoreland County)
Contact: Joan Roth, Volunteer Coordinator
724-689-1653
jroth@excelahealth.org

Family Hospice Palliative Care
www.familyhospice.com/
Contact: Pam Tomczak 412-572-8803

Western Pa. Humane Society coordinates visits to multiple locations in the community with volunteers who have Certified Therapy Dogs.
Contact: Joy Kealey
joy.kealey@wpahumane.org.

Odyssey Health Care
Cliff Mine Rd., Pittsburgh
Contact: Barbara Coulter 1-800-861-8584

Condordia of Franklin Park
Contact: Carol Kosela 724-935-1075 ext. 103

VA Hospitals in Pittsburgh
Activities Director: 412-688-6000 ext. 3682

Country Meadows (South Hills)
Activities Director: 412-257-4566

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Volunteer Coordinator: 412-690-6508

Animal Friends also coordinates a Pet Assisted Therapy program that visits multiple locations. To join their therapy group contact:

Ann Cadman: (412) 847-7031
pettherapy@animal-friends.org

Allegheny General Hospital
Jennifer Kopar: 412-359-3067
jkopar@wpahs.org

Tail Waggin Tutors at Baden Library
Sarah Goodman: 724-869-3960

Heartland Hospice
Barb Kralik, Volunteer Coordinator: 412-919-5617
heartlandvcs@gmail.com

Caring Hospice Services
Brittany Bailey, Volunteer Coordinator: 412-563-3300
bbailey@caringhospice.com

Concordia of Wexford
Michelle Moon: 724-935-1266

Therapy Dog Services & Teams

If you would like to have Therapy Dogs visit your facility, please contact one of the following Therapy Dog Teams or contact Misty Pines to have your facility listed in the above section so that our teams may contact you. The Teams listed below are a small portion of those interested in visiting those in need of therapeutic visits from their furry friends:

Pets With Heart, Pet Therapy
Sister Sharon Costello: 724-869-6545
sharon@sisterspettherapy.com