Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Jun 24

Many people have trouble taking their dog in a car - and it’s usually distressing to watch or dangerous for the driver!

Basically, if a dog is in any way stressed by a journey (the rocking of the car) or by the reason for the journey (you only go in the car to the vets!) then it can show all sorts of signs - the most obvious is being sick.

Symptoms Of A Travel Sick Dog:
It isn’t just about being sick though, as there are many other signs that your dog is unhappy or upset by the journey. These include:

Anxiety- Your dog will no doubt actually look worries by the whole occasion.  It may well have refused or been reluctant to get in the car in the first place.  And even once inside the car, it still seems to be a bit ‘on edge’ and not quite relaxed.

Restlessness - Your dog will no doubt be unable to sit still at all for the journey - or before you even leave your drive!  It will be moving about in the same way that people do before an interview or speech.  Your mind is so full of stress that you cannot think about anything else and this creates energy that acts as a distraction.

If the dog is not secure in a dog harness, a crate or dog car seats then this could be a major hazard for the driver of the car.  The dog could obscure the view, create a diversion to take the drivers eyes off the road or maybe even move towards or climb on the drivers lap!

Trembling - Some dogs may well sit still, but they are curled up all defensive and are actually trembling with fear!  They may have fast-moving eyes - looking out for any way to end this panic and fear.  Rather than try to out-pace the stress they just stay put and suffer.

Drooling - Many dogs (and cats) will start to create excess saliva when stressed, and will drool all over themselves and your car.

Drooling is usually created by nausea - the feeling of sickness.  Just as humans start to create extra moisture in their mouths before they are going to be sick - dogs create drool.  It is unpleasant for the dog and will just make it’s stress levels become higher.

Sickness - this is normally the highest level a travel sick dog will reach as this is the result of all the other types of stress added together.

A dog will not just ‘be sick’ without having suffered stress in one or more of the ways listed above.

Other Causes?
Well, it wouldn’t be fair to say that travel sickness is the result of stress alone, but it is the main trigger.

For example - if you are feeling full up with a tummy full of dinner and then we set you out on a bouncy journey in the back of a car, I’m not sure even your tummy could stay normal.  You would know something wasn’t right and then that is all you think about.  And it is the stress of thinking about this that can make it worse.

Needing to go to toilet can also create these ‘distracting thoughts’ too - where you are not enjoying the journey - you are just thinking about one thing!

Imbalance can also create nausea - just like sea-sickness - but if you have an empty tummy, don’t need the loo and are completely relaxed then these things shouldn’t be an issue.

The Solution?
There are many ’solutions’ that people have tried and are still trying - but it all depends on the situation you are in, the reason for the fear and what you have already tried to ‘cure’ it.

I will discuss these options in the following article.

posted by admin on Apr 19

Traveling with your cats or dogs can be fun, but taking them into another country needs careful planning.  However, travel around Europe just got much easier with the PETS Travel Scheme - and here is a quick run down….. 

If you are thinking of entering the UK with your cat or dog, you have 2 options to legally do so:

1) 6-months Quarantine
2) A PETS Passport

Basically, the UK is rabies-free and they would like to keep it that way - so they make sure that all possible carriers (mainly carnivorous mammals) are regulated on entry.

This includes both domestic and wild animals that enter the country (by human intervention) and as a result cats and dogs are included in these regulations and as a result need to be proved to not carry the virus.

The only way to guarantee this is to successfully vaccinate the animal and wait 6 months before giving it the ‘all-clear’.

Why 6 months?
The incubation period for the rabies virus (the time it takes from infection to the animal showing symptoms) is around 6 months.  It can be shorter or a bit longer - but 6 months is the accepted incubation period for governmental legislation.

Therefore, if the dog had contracted rabies the day before it entered the UK, it will very likely become symptomatic within 6 months.  As it would have been in quarantine kennels all this time, there is no risk of that dog having passed it on to any other dogs, cats or other mammals.

So Why Is There No Quarantine With The Passports?
The reason is simple.  To acquire the PETS (Pet Travel Scheme)Passport, the cat or dog still needs to wait for a 6 month period to elapse before being allowed to freely enter the UK.

This means that if you find a stray do in Spain and want to bring it to the UK, you have to obtain a valid PETS passport - which takes over 6 months.  Basically the period of ‘quarantine’ is still there, but the dog or cat doesn’t have to spend it in a kennel.

How To Get Your PETS Passport:
Obtaining a PETS passport is very simple and involves 5 simple steps.  Basically you are individually identifying your cat or dog permanently and then proving it has enough rabies anti-bodies in it’s blood to protect against a new rabies infection.

The first 4 steps are to get the passport in the first place and will take at least 7 months from start to finish:

1) Get your cat or dog micro-chipped
2) Get you cat or dog vaccinated against rabies
3) Get a blood test result to prove you pet is protected
4) Obtain an official PETS passport from a qualified vet

The final step needs to be carried out within a 24-48 hour window on your entry or return to the UK:

5) Obtain official Tick and Tapeworm treatment

What Next?
To travel around other countries in the EU does not usually require the PETS passport, but many have their own regulations for transporting your pets.  And these guidelines are mainly for your entry to the UK, so always check the current legislation with DEFRA (UK) or other national body before traveling with your pets.

The PETS passport is valid for as long as the rabies vaccine is in date, so make sure that you do not let it expire by even 1 day - otherwise you will have to start the process all over again!