Traveling with your Pet!

Summer travel season is approaching and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul knows that some of us just can’t bear to leave our pets behind. Let’s face it these guys are just as much a part of our families as our children and what’s a family vacation without them? That being said, sometimes traveling with our pets can be a hassle.

When planning our holiday, we have to think ahead. Where can I go that accepts pets? How much food do I have to bring? How can I get them there? What happens if my pet has an emergency while I’m on vacation? This and a ton of other questions are sure to come up. With that in mind, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul is happy to provide the following tips for a happy and safe vacation with your beloved pets.

• Ok, first on this list is where can I go that will let me bring my pet? –there are a number of pet friendly accommodations available that will happily accept your friends. You can find a good list of them at http://www.petswelcome.com/ . There are some things you need to know about the cost…

Is there a fee to house my pet? In most cases yes there is either a fee or a deposit that must be paid to the facility where you are staying. Sometimes the fees depend on the size of your pet, other times there is a daily fee and sometimes it is only a one time deposit. It is very important to discuss this up front with the property management to avoid unplanned expenses. You would also do well to find out how you will get your money back if it is only a deposit.

• What happens in case of an emergency? It is always important to make contingency plans, for emergency veterinary care you should find a local animal hospital. You can find this through the American Animal Hospital Association at (800) 883-6301. In the case of a lost pet, make sure to contact the local animal control officer or the local police department as these are likely places for people to report found pets. Microchipping your pet prior to travel is a good idea for permanent identification. You may have to also have proof of vaccinations and a health certificate to travel with your pet. Talk with your veterinarian prior to leaving.

• Make sure to pack correctly. You will want to bring a leash with ID tags and you should consider making a special tag for vacation with your cell phone number on it, so you can easily be reached if your pet gets away from you. Bring several of his/her favorite toys. Carry plenty of water and a supply of their regular pet food (don’t forget the can opener). Treats are a must. Bring towels to dry wet pets and make sure to bring a pet bed with you. Don’t forget your grooming kit (especially if traveling long distances in a car).

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul is your source for pet needs, news and advice. Please enjoy a safe happy and healthy vacation and take lots of pictures.

The first cancer vaccine for dogs has received conditional licensure from the USDA. The vaccine, manufactured by Merial Ltd., will be used as a treatment for stage II or stage III oral melanoma in dogs. The vaccine is the result of ten years of research performed by researchers at New York’s Animal Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and hopefully will result in a similar treatment option for people with melanoma.

Melanoma tumors have a protein called tyrosinase. The vaccine alerts the body’s immune system that this unwanted protein is present and triggers an immune reaction by the body against the tumor. The vaccine is administered in four doses, two weeks apart, followed by six-month booster doses.

Surgery and radiation were previously used for treatment of this type of cancer. The median survival time was extended from 150 days to 389 days for stage II cancer and from less than 90 days to 389 days with stage IV cancer.

The vaccine will be available through veterinary oncologists, or cancer specialists. What a breakthrough in the treatment of a devastating disease! Hopefully this is just the beginning of a line of similar therapies to stop cancer in its tracks. Cancer is the number 1 killer of dogs over the age of 2 and 25% of dogs die of cancer. Successful research like this is not only beneficial for our pets, but absolutely necessary.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are bacterial organisms that reside within the gastrointestinal system, primarily in the large intestines. The intestines are full of bacteria, good ones (probiotics) and bad ones (like E. coli and Salmonella).

The probiotics help keep the numbers of the bad bacteria low and keep the inside of the gastrointestinal system healthy. It is important that the balance of bacteria remains tipped to the "good" side to prevent digestive upset, but also to keep the entire body healthy. When something goes wrong inside the intestines, the bad bugs outgrow the good bugs and these bad bugs are shed in the stool, exposing other pets (and people) in the household to these pathogenic organisms.

There have been research studies to identify the organisms that reside within the intestines. Dogs have very similar populations of bacteria to you and I. Cats, always needing to be different, have been resistant to having their bacteria identified. Even in cultures taken directly from the intestines, bacteria have not been grown.

Feeding a diet, like Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul, that contains added probiotics may help prevent digestive upset in sensitive dogs. The addition of these organisms also promotes overall good health by keeping the immune system strong.