The Importance of Water Bowls

It is very important that you make sure your dog has access to fresh, clean drinking water.  Water is the most important nutrient for a dog or cat.  They can live for long periods of time without other nutrients, but they cannot live for more than a few days without water.  Approximately 70% of their body weight is water, and many of their tissues are made of between 70% & 90% water. A dog or cat constantly need to replace the water they lose through panting and eliminating.  Panting is the way they regulate their body temperature during all types of weather.  An average dog or cat requires approximately 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.  This means that a 60 pound dog will need approximately 60 ounces, or two quarts of water per day.  When the weather is warm, or in times of stress, dogs and cats may need more water.  When traveling, you may want to bring along water from home to help avoid stomach upset.

Pet Travel Tips

Many of you will be traveling with your pets this season.  To keep them as safe as possible, they should be restrained in the vehicle some way.  You don't want to take a chance of your pet jumping out of your vehicle, whether it's moving or stopped, especially when you're far from home.  Or even worse, your pet being thrown from the vehicle, in the event of an accident. Your pet can be kept in the back of your vehicle by a metal barrier.  You can leave the windows open for air circulation by using a window barrier.  This will keep your pet from jumping or falling out of the window, and will also keep their head inside the car.  We know that most dogs love hanging their heads out the window, but this can cause serious injury if he gets foreign objects in his eyes, nose or throat.  Or you can use a specially designed harness that attaches to the seatbelt.  This allows the dog to stand up or lie down, but still restrict his mobility.  Make sure your dog always wears a collar with identification. Many ID tags have room for 2 phone numbers.  Consider having your veterinarian's phone number as the secondary number.  Make sure that you have plenty of water with you and never, ever leave your pet alone in the car on a warm day, even for five minutes.

 Pet Doors

Pet doors can solve many problems since your dog or cat can let their self in and out as the need arises.  If you’re running late getting home after a long day, you don't have to worry that they haven’t been able to get out in hours.  No more getting up in the middle of the night, or being interrupted when you are in the middle of something important.  If your dog shows signs of stress, such as chewing or excessive barking when left home alone, maybe being allowed to run outside in the yard will alleviate this stress, and stop this unwanted behavior. Won't my home be an easy target for burglary because of the pet door?  An adult couldn't fit through the small or medium doors.  As for the larger doors, would you go through a large door without knowing exactly what was on the other side?  You can lock the pet door from the inside if this is a concern.  Will other people's pets, or worse, wild animals come in through a pet door?  Other people's pets will probably be too scared to go into a strange house.  Wild animals will not understand that the pet door is a way into the house.  Your dog or cat will need to be shown how the pet door works. How do I know which size door is right for my door?  Measure the widest part of your dog or cat to get the width and measure from the deepest part of the chest to the top of the shoulders to get the opening height of the door you need.  We recommend that you cut a hole in a piece of cardboard to match the opening to the door you are interested in.  Make sure your dog or cat will fit through comfortably.  You can also use these weight restrictions:  up to 12 pounds - small door, up to 40 pounds - medium door, up to 80 pounds - large door, up to 125 pounds - extra large door.