Have dog, will travel (but safely)

Debbie Lustig suggests ways to prevent a driving holiday from going to the dogs.
During the holiday season, dogs will journey to the furthest corners of the country on trips with their human owners and it's up to us to ensure they travel and arrive safely.
Restraint
There are no laws about restraining dogs in cars in Victoria, although they must be tethered when in utes and trailers.
Vet Shaun Wynne from the Whitehorse Veterinary Hospital recalls a man and woman who had been in an accident several years ago: "They had glass injuries on the forearms and head, and brought their dog in before they took themselves to hospital. The dog sustained a back injury. It hadn't been restrained."
And Kim, a vet nurse from Mount Waverley Animal Emergency Centre, says: "We see dogs jumping out the window that's wound down too far, getting injured by jumping from a moving car. It happens every couple of months, depending on the season."
Dr Wynne thinks the safety message is getting through. "One of the things we're finding is that there is generally less trauma to dogs because people are looking after them better," he says. "We sell a lot of harnesses."
Harnesses are also available at pet shops and vet clinics.
Dehydration and heat stress
These are serious problems for dogs, which are less effective at controlling their body temperature than us. A dog pants to cool down, but if it doesn't drink enough water, it will begin to dehydrate.
Dogs can also become heat stressed, which is simply high body temperature. Generally dehydration comes with it, but it doesn't have to.
If left in a hot car, a dog can suffer heat stress in as little as 15 minutes.
"Your dog can be dead by the time you find it if it's there for long enough," a vet warns. That's regardless of the dog's size. "It's all about ambient temperature, so if it's 40 outside, it's 60 in the car."
Affected dogs pant quickly and are lethargic. If heat-stressed, they need to be seen by a vet immediately. Breeds with pushed-in snouts (boxers, pugs, bulldogs, etc) are at higher risk of heat stress.
Provide your dog with plenty of water, especially during summer - they should drink 60-100 millilitres of water per kilogram of their bodyweight per day.
Lightweight canvas bowls are ideal for travelling dogs, and there's an ingenious bottle available that inverts into a pan and, when squeezed, decants water.

Abandoned poodle left in cold on side of road prompts attention to animal care in bitter cold

UTICA - The Stevens Swan Humane Society took in a small dog this morning that was left out in the cold. Now the shelter is looking for its owner, or any information about the dog.

The staff at Stevens Swan says the small poodle was found stranded on the side of the road inside a hand bag. The dog now seems to be fine, but the shelter is looking for some answers.
A small poodle, possible poodle-mix was found in a hand bag on Whitesboro Street early Wednesday morning. The man who brought the dog in says he was driving and noticed the bag moving on the side of the road.
The staff says they aren't sure if the dog was meant to be abandoned or if it was an accident.
"If you do own the dog, we need to see proof of ownership of the dog, which means we need to see rabies vaccination tags, that kind of thing," said Kathy Contino-Turner of the Humane Society. "We will keep him for 5 days and if no one claims her she will be up for adoption."
Since tonight will be bitter cold, the Humane Society has offered some tips to help keep your pets safe:
*They say provide outdoor pets with a dry insulated pet house. In fact, bring them in tonight even if its just the garage.
*They want to remind everyone to clean up all the spills, especially in the driveway where anti-freeze could leak.
*Pets that are used to being indoors need to have their beds elevated off the floor.
*Finally, they say cats often nap on peoples engines. So before you start your car knock on your hood or honk your horn. Then wait a few minutes before starting the car.
As for the abandoned poodle, he saw the doctor on staff at the shelter, and seems to be in good health.
If you have any information you can call the Humane Society at 738-4357

'Pet pawties' help keep pets healthy (with photos)

Gone to the dogs. That's how a part of Linda Franzblau's life turned two years ago, and it seems she couldn't be happier.
The single mom -- of 6-year-old daughter Hannah and two rescued animals, King, a Yorkie terrier mix, and Gracie, a Boston terrier purebred -- uses her spare time to conduct "pet pawties." They are gatherings for people, but it is their pets that benefit.
Think Tupperware and Avon, but substitute pet toys, food, apparel and safety devices. Games, prizes and treats are a part of the party. Products are designed to enhance the health or stimulate the senses and intellect of a dog, cat or bird.
Intellect?
Franzblau believes pets get lazy and bored when they are not challenged mentally. So place a treat inside a ball, and a ball inside another toy, then let the animal have fun figuring out how to retrieve his reward.
Petlane is a 4-year-old California company. Petlane's founder, in 1978, started Discovery Toys, a line of fun and educational products for children.
Franzblau, who lives in Oconomowoc but conducts Petlane parties locally, also works in marketing for the books division of Kalmbach Publishing in Milwaukee. She contends the average pet store employee is not well informed about product safety, nutritional content and other product limitations.
Petlane's "core product," Franzblau says, is a pet seat belt, which doubles as a harness. It easily can be unhooked and attached to a leash. The cost is $54-$57, depending upon animal size.
The sound and feel of a human heartbeat pulsate inside of a soft pet bed, to help ease an animal's separation anxiety. Add uncooked rice to a pouch, and the surface warms slightly.
What else? A substance to melt ice on sidewalks has pet-friendly ingredients, so paws won't burn when walking on it. Treats -- dried liver "biscotti," freeze-dried meatballs and (Wisconsin) cheese nibbles -- are produced at an FDA-approved food plant.
Pet education is a part of the pet pawty because "a little education could save an animal" from harm or help extend its natural life, Franzblau says.
She is in search of prospective Petlane workers as well as party hosts. The company's products can be purchased online, without attending a party.