Make sure your pets ride in safety

Keep your pets safe when they're on the road -- and protect yourself as well, in this week’s Pet Connection syndicated column:

Do you secure your pets when they're riding in the car?



While most cats travel safely in carriers when they travel at all, the question typically draws an uneasy look and an uncomfortable response from even the most conscientious and well-meaning of dog lovers.



The truth is that most dog lovers -- including those who wouldn't think of leaving home without first securing themselves and their children with a seat belt -- don't provide the same protection for their dogs.



The results can be tragic. Unrestrained pets cause more than 30,000 accidents annually, according to the American Automobile Association, injuries and even fatalities that could in many cases have been avoided with the use of a restraint or carrier.

And it's not just their safety that's at risk, write our Dr. Marty Becker and our DogCars.com editor Keith Turner:

"In a 30 mph accident, a 60-pound dog can cause an impact of more than 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, windshield or other passengers," said Christina Selter, founder of Bark Buckle Up, an organization dedicated to teaching pet owners about the importance of securing their pets while traveling.



"And if the animal survives and gets loose, it can run into traffic or impede the progress of emergency crews arriving on the scene."

Safety tips for pet owners aren't all you'll find. Gina gives a reader some tough love about breeding his cat, and another reader asks her to remind everyone that acetaminophen (Tylenol) is deadly to cats. Dr. Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon write that petting animals helps soldiers suffering from PTSD, plus let us know about a new shelter for homeless people and their pets.



Dr. Becker gives bird owners the scoop on medicating their pets, and animal behavior experts Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp point out that pets don't soil in the house out of spite:

Pets may poop on your bed for a variety of reasons, none of which involve what we humans call "spite."



A sudden change in a pet's behavior is often the first sign of a health problem. If the pet checks out as healthy at the veterinarian's, then consider any possible new source of stress.



Both cats and dogs may use urine and feces to mark territory when they are feeling threatened or stressed by changes in the environment or household routines.



Punishing your pet only adds more stress and continues a vicious cycle. Instead, look for ways to reduce your pet's stress by meeting more of your pet's needs. Establish a predictable daily routine for feeding, exercise and companionship.

All this and more in our Pet Connection newspaper feature, which you can read on the Universal Press Syndicate Web site.

Comments

[Dara]

I've seen safety buckles/ harnasses specifically for use in car rides with animals. I think it would be worth the investment if someone travels often with their pets. Not only will it prevent the animal from hitting himself on something or going through glass, but it will also prevent him from escaping the car following an accident.

[Anne T]

This was at least 10 years ago, and I had 4 dogs in the car. It was late November, and darkness had set in. It was sleeting, and the dirt back road I was on turned to pavement covered in black ice. Going up an incline I lost control, the car skidded and accelerated into a small birch tree and a boulder before I could correct it. Wham! The air bag exploded in my face, breaking my nose and loosening teeth.

My 4 dogs were loose in the back of my car, separated by one of those metal barriers. They all whammed into that barrier, striking heads and shoulders and expressing a few anal glands in the process.

We were all lucky. A vet check, massage and acupuncture put the dogs right, and upper dentures gave me back my award winning smile ( lol). But never ever again do I travel with dogs that aren't crated, and the crates are secured to the frame of the car. I can't protect them from impact by another driver unless I trade in for a tank, but at least I can protect them being propelled all over the car interior.

[Lis]

I use a car harness for Addy. My mother thinks it's mean of me because Addy is really truly amazingly well-behaved in the car--if given the choice, she would sit quietly on the front passenger seat and cause no trouble at all. But recently, I had to slam on the brakes while Addy was in the back seat of the car, secured by her harness. She slid forward on the seat--and stopped, at the end of the harness tether. She did not slam into the back of my seat, or fly between the seats into the dashboard or windshield. No harm, no injury, just a momentary fright that she recovered from quickly.