Dogward Bound! Safe Travel Tips for You and Your Dog

In March of '07, my foster partner and I packed up all of our belongings and traveled nearly 2500 miles - from Estacada, Oregon, to Columbia, Kentucky - in an old transit bus we found on Craigslist. While this in and of itself wasn't all that extraordinary, the rest of the cargo was; in Oregon, I interned with an animal rescue that was host to cats, dogs, goats, chickens, and other assorted furred and feathered creatures both large and small. Sixty-five creatures, to be exact. We spent weeks preparing for the trek, doing our best to minimize the trauma of the move by ensuring that we had the best accommodations, food, and entertainment possible for our budget. When we finally hit the road, we were pleased to realize that all of our planning had served us well: we arrived in Kentucky without incident, and our furry friends were soon comfortable in their new home.

Here are a few of the things we learned along the way:

(1) Don't overfeed. You'll have less mess to clean up along the way, and your pooch will thank you for making the travel time that much more comfortable without a full belly. A good rule of thumb is to give about one-third the usual amount of food, sticking with a pre-made kibble you can make yourself in advance, to avoid messy spills or the need for refrigeration. See the recipe at the end of this post.
(2) Remember cleaning supplies. Even the most travel-savvy pups may feel queasy during a long journey; stay tuned for next Sunday's Dog-Gone! post to get instructions on how to make your own Pet Travel Kit. It's inexpensive, and will do wonders in reducing your stress on the road.
(3) Make sure all vaccinations are up-to-date. With hundreds of strange animals passing through, rest stops are a haven for diseases like parvovirus, distemper, and the flu. If your pups are too young for vaccinations, it's best not to risk it by letting them set foot on foreign soil. You're better off cleaning up a messy crate than seeing your little ones suffer the effects of a deadly virus picked up on the road.
(4) Provide proper containment. Even if your pup loves the feel of the highway, bring along a crate for emergencies. If the car breaks down or there's an accident, your guy will be safely confined while you sort out the mess.
(5) Microchip, microchip, microchip. Particularly when traveling through a strange place, your pooch may become panicked and bolt at a rest area or gas station. Microchipping significantly increases the chances that your pup pal will be returned to you no matter how far you are from home.

Follow these tips and you'll have a great start to a happy life on the road with your favorite canine compadre.

One for the Road: Homemade Kibble to Make Things Simple

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds
4 table spoons Dream Coat (may substitute corn oil)
1 cup chicken broth
4 eggs
1 cup low-fat milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, and sunflower seeds. Add oil, broth, and egg mixture, until dough is firm-textured. Let sit for fifteen to twenty minutes, then roll out on a large baking sheet to about 1/4" thick. Bake for approximately half an hour, until golden brown. Remove and cool. Once cooled, it should be the texture of a hard-baked cookie; use a hammer to break into kibble-sized pieces, and store in an airtight container.

If your dog is used to beef marrow bones, it's great to bring one along with you while traveling - they provide much-needed calcium, and will keep your favorite pup occupied for hours.

Thursday's Nutrition Beat: Food for Life

Proper nutrition is the fourth, and arguably the most important, element necessary for a healthy home for you and your dog. It is also the element that requires the greatest investment from you - both in terms of time and of money. In a series of posts over the coming weeks, I'll do my best to provide simple, affordable tips for creating nourishing meals for your animal companion, but I would be lying if I said it will always be a snap. Just stick with it, and soon you'll begin to see the rewards - a healthier, happier dog who requires less veterinary care and has fewer behavioral issues. It's all in what you eat. A word of caution: In this blog, I won't spend a lot of time discussing commercial pet foods, because I have yet to find one that is superior to what I can prepare in my own kitchen, for a fraction of the cost to my wallet, my conscience, and the planet itself. We'll discuss raw food diets, vegetarianism and your dog, nutritional needs... And I naturally welcome questions about anything relating to nutrition, but I simply don't have a lot to say about commercial pet food in most instances.

In the past year, the pet food industry has been in the headlines as a result of tainted food that's caused illness and death to thousands of pets across the country. An increasing number of people are becoming aware of the industry's questionable practices and lack of safeguards. Consequently, there has been a significant increase in the number of foods claiming to be balanced or all natural; there are literally thousands of blogs devoted to pet nutrition and home cooking for your pets, and the popularity of the raw food diet has grown exponentially. With this increase in interest comes an increase an information, which, inevitably, also means an increase in misinformation. How do you sort through all of the conflicting reports, the shocking details of abuse in the industry, the number of supplements required? What do you do, when the whole nation is talking about a subject, and it seems that everyone is saying something different?

It's not an easy answer, but it starts by doing your homework. Before you read anything else - and there are hundreds of books out there on the subject - I would recommend Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. It's available through Amazon for less than $13, and is worth every penny and more. Dr. Pitcairn was the pioneer when it comes to the link between health and animal nutrition, and this book covers every topic you'll need to get started - the true nutritional needs of your pet, what to buy and where to get it, the most cost-effective way to prepare a wholesome diet... This is where to begin. If you have other questions after the fact, there are plenty of places to turn; until that time, though, build your foundation with quality materials. This Guide is unquestionably the place to start.

Once you've memorized Dr. Pitcairn's work, head back here each Thursday for more articles, tips, stories, and recipes on nutrition and your favorite pup. We'll begin next week with an overview of the nutritional needs of your dog, so that you can ensure that all of his health needs are being met. The following week I'll provide a shopping list, pricing out what you should have on hand to make meal preparation quick and easy. We'll talk about the things you need to watch out for when preparing home cooked meals, how to work with your veterinarian if your pup has special needs, and how to track your dog's progress as you continue along this path to total health. We'll even look at ways to start eating more conscientiously yourself, following Fido's fine example! I look forward to having a dialogue with readers about the countless topics relating to nutrition and total health, so don't hesitate to drop a line with questions or comments. And, as always, thanks for reading.