Travel Tips
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Starting a week or more before a car trip, take a short ride with your dog to acquaint it with traveling.
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Plan to keep control of your dog at all times. This means your dog should have a leash, and perhaps a muzzle. Keep car windows closed and far enough to prevent the dog from jumping out.
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Never leave your dog unattended in order to prevent the dog from jumping out.
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Never leave your dog or cat unattended in a closed car during hot weather. Heat builds rapidly in an enclosed space, resulting in heat stroke and death within minutes.
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If motion sickness has been a problem, medication is available to prevent it and calm your pet. Always reduce food and water for your pet before traveling.
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Many motels and hotels welcome pets, but you should check to be sure when making reservations. Exercise your dog off the premises and away from lawns or shrubbery and use a leash.
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Upon arrival, give food and water sparingly and offer plenty of understanding and affection.
Parasite Control Tips
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Like most other animals, dogs are plagued by a wide variety of intestinal parasites (such as roundworm, whipworm, hookworm and heartworm) and external parasites (such as fleas, ticks, ear mites and manges). Unfortunately, many of these parasites have complex life cycles which enable them to survive even in best-kept households.
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The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends deworming puppies at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age followed by administration of monthly preventive medication.
Nutrition Tips
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Just like you, your dog has specific nutritional requirements: protein for growing and tissue repair, carbohydrates for energy, vitamins and minerals for general health. Young puppies, should be fed three to four times daily. At six month of age, this can be reduced to twice a day. Allow 15-20 minutes to eat, and then try removing food until the next schedule feeding time. Adult pets may need to have the amount of food adjustment to prevent excessive weight gain. Pregnant dogs should be fed twice a day from the fourth week pregnancy onwards. They will be more comfortable if fed smaller amount three to four times a day during the final week.
