cats

What to pack for a road trip with Rover

Andrea Karim — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:27:14 +0000

Our friends at Itchmo.com recently posted some helpful hints about what to pack when you go road tripping with your four-legged friends. It might seem like a bit much, but planning ahead and having everything you need on hand is the best money saver for road trips. That, and never stopping at a gas station even when all your children really need to pee and haven't eaten since the day before (you know who you are, Dad).

So, what to pack for your little critters? Besides water and food, Itchmo suggests:

LOTS of plastic bags
Baby wipes
Extra leashes
Sunscreen
Flea and tick treatment
Favorite toy & blanket
Tags and vaccine papers (especially for cross-border travel)
Your veterinarian's phone number

A more complete list is available on Itchmo's site.

Because I'm a freak about the state of the car I'm traveling in, I would also pack:

Lint roller
Benadryl and/or Pepto Bismol
List of pet-friendly destinations
Air freshener and roll of quarters for gas station vacuum
Old towels
First aid kit (yeah, this should already be in my car)

Written by Andrea Karim and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Pet Peeves Part 3: Vet Visits

Andrea Karim — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:36:18 +0000

My animals are a pricey bunch. Cute, and sweet, but medically challenged. Between facial fold issues, allergies to grass (seriously, what kind of dog is allergic to grass?), and a cat with apparent manic depression, we've spent a lot of time at the vet's office, at a few hundred bucks a pop.

The last thing that my dog managed to come down with was a grass seed between his toes. He never gave any sign of distress, and I only noticed it when the other dog started sniffing at the wound. Apparently this is common, and you probably won't see it until it swells up and starts bleeding.

The thing is, most of my animals' health issues are annoying and probably painful, but not deadly. And they always occur on a Saturday night, meaning that I have to wait until Monday morning to get them seen by a vet, unless I want to take the to the emergency hospital, which is twice the price of the regular vet.

I've stopped going to the emergency hospital because I've learned to combat pet problems, at least the ones that send us to the emergency room, by being prepared.

Ounce of prevention, pound of cure

Here's a list of things that I keep on hand to keep my animals out of the vet's office:

A solid pair of rubber gloves, especially if you have to peform some first aid on a cat. Cats don't like you trying to fix them. Actually, cats just don't like you. Nothing personal. They're cats.

A regular first aid kit can do wonders, if you don't want to go to the trouble of buying gauze and butterfly bandages separately.

Good pair of tweezers, for removing ticks, pulling out splinters, etc.

One of those head-cones. You never know when you're going to have to stop your dog from chewing on his butt or licking a wound. Yes, he will look stupid running around the house with one of those things on. Too damn bad.

Baby wipes. I think anyone who is alive should keep these onhand, pets or no pets. They are incredibly handy.

Neosporin, for small scrapes and scratches.

Skin-cooling spray or cream. Hydrocortisone is good, or you can use something with soothing chamomile. Scalpicin works fine, too.

Hydorgen peroxide, for cleaning small wounds, such as the ones caused by an exiting grass seed.

A damn good pair of electric clippers, for trimming the hair around a wounded area.

Pepto-Bismol tablets, for diarrhea. I give two to each dog almost anytime they get runny. Also, egg yolks and yogurt, which are eaten by adventurers the world over to combat traveler's diarrhea, are a great way to plug up a pooch that has a slight stomach upset, as long as you feel that the source of the upset isn't dangerous. For instance, switching (non-contaminated) food brands. Don't get the idea that you can give your pets any kind of human medication, because you can't.

Particularly flatulent mutts can be treated with sweet potatoes, according to this home remedy from Itchmo.

Flea shampoo and flea treatments. I don't use these as regularly as some people do, but I keep them around, just in case an infestation occurs. It's very rare for us, but good to be ready if it happens.

Pet meds. If your pet regularly takes medication, don't fall behind in providing them. It can mean the difference between happy and healthy, and sitting at the pet hospital at 3AM and getting angry at bloggers. [Not that I'm suggesting the Kirk wasn't giving his dog his meds or anything.]

My vet recommends Benadryl for the times when my shih tzu has a massive allergy attack. Most human meds aren't good for dogs, and you should obviously check with yours before giving anything to your dog. Benadryl seems to be widely accepted for allergy treatments, however.

Treats. Dogs (and some cats) will forgive you for popping a huge cyst on their foot if a treat immediately follows.

Lots and lots of towels. You can never have too many towels.

Pet Insurance

The discussion over pet insurance is a long and tedious one, and I can't crunch the numbers for anyone else. Since pet insurance doesn't cover any pre-existing conditions, I haven't seen any reason to buy it (for my two pups, it would cost me roughly $100 a month with zero coverage of their current problems). I know that very serious diseases can be a problem later on, but I've already decided that I'm not going to let me dogs suffer through harsh treatments for something like cancer. That's my personal decision, and I don't expect anyone to agree with it.

Kitten picture by Simon Jackson.

Written by Andrea Karim and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Pet Peeves Part 2: Good Grooming

Andrea Karim — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 21:45:14 +0000

Dogs are by far the most expensive pets to groom. Cats need a good brushing and maybe the occasional bath, birds clean themselves (as do rodents) and fish LIVE in a bath. So, dog grooming is where a lot of pet owners drop a wad of cash. It doesn't have to be that way.

I used to take my dogs to Petsmart for a good all-over grooming — bath, trim, nails, ears, tooth brushing. Petsmart grooming fees differ depending on the breed you have, not the type of grooming that is performed. Because I have two small dogs that might be considered high-maintenance breeds (a Shih Tzu and a Pekingese), my fees run about $50 per dog, plus taxes. I always thought that this was a bit unfair — I can see charging $50 each if I wanted the dogs to have long, silky hair that was brushed out and swooped up in bows, but I have my dogs clipped short all over. That doesn't matter to Petsmart.

All in all, I used to spend over $119 every three weeks to have my dogs groomed (nearly $2070 per year).

Once I calculated that total, I realized that grooming my own dogs was going to be key to saving myself some moo-lah. After a bad experience with $30 Costco dog clippers, I found that although an initial investment in grooming supplies might cost me more than a couple of groom sessions, the purchase would pay for itself within the first four months of ownership.

DIY pet grooming isn't nearly as difficult as it sounds. If you just set aside a little bit of time each month, you can save a bundle and still have happy, clean pets.

The First Cut is the Priciest

First, clippers. The groomers at Petsmart were happy to tell me which clippers they used in the doggie salon, which were conveniently sold at Petsmart for roughly $220. I wrote down the model number and found them on eBay for $160, less than the cost of two grooming sessions. These clippers do require maintenance and replacement blades, but they are still much cheaper than having someone else trim my dogs. Also, I can give my Shih Tzu a Mohawk whenever the whim strikes me.

Now, I'm not claiming that I as good a job trimming my dogs as the people at Petsmart did. But my dogs aren't that vain, and they look good enough that so far, no one has laughed openly at them.

Rub-a-dub-dub

Next, bathing. I had tried unsuccessfully to bathe my dogs by setting them in the bathtub and shampooing them while pouring pots of water over their heads. My little guys are small, but absolutely determined to be nowhere near the water flowing out of the faucet. Turning on the shower did no good because the spray was too dispersed and difficult to aim at such a small target. And they were just too big (and gross) to wash in the kitchen sink. Because I had to do so much fighting, I ended up wasting a lot of water, and I'd usually run out of hot water halfway through bathing the second dog, so that one of them was guaranteed to be shivering and miserable when I was finished (as opposed to just miserable).

Thus, I was delighted when my sister gave me a Rinse Ace Indoor Pet Sprayer, which she had started using on her large dog after it got too cold to simply hose him off outside one winter. An ingenious little device, the Rinse Ace is a hose with a showerhead that you can plug into your current showerhead. The hose is long enough to reach into the tub for bathing small dogs, and you hold down a little switch to the turn the water on. When you let go, the water stops, thus saving dozens of gallons every bath. Having to hold the button down does cause some hand fatigue, but it's better than using all the hot water, and struggling to keep the dog in the tub while pouring water over its head.

I also like using this when I occasionally have to bathe the cat. Since we got her when she was a kitten, she's easier to bathe than a cat that has never been in the water. I have to wear rubber gloves and long sleeves for the process, but it significantly cuts down on her shedding and my allergies.

As far as canine beauty products go, I really like the Lavender and Mint Buddy Wash shampoos and conditioners by Cloud Star. They cost between $9-13 per bottle, but they are concentrated so that they last a long time, and leave my dogs smelling great. And, one of my dogs has terrible allergies that cause him to chew and scratch, but the Buddy Wash Conditioner soothes his dry skin and keeps him from scratching.

Towels. Never fall for the ruse that your dogs need special towels. Just use your old ones.

Grin and Brush It

Tooth care. This aspect of pet care is often overlooked, but you should brush your dog's teeth at least once a week, if not every day. If the process is followed by praise and treats, your pooch with probably endure it. You don't need to get an Oral B Extra Sonic Ultra Laser Boom Brush like the one that you use — a simple doggie toothbrush and some dog-happy toothpaste is enough.

I am Canine, Hear Me Bark

Ears. Cleaning your dog's ears is actually easier than it sounds. Simply take some tweezers and pluck out most of the small hairs that crowd your dogs' inner ears (not inner-inner — you're not plucking out their eardrums or anything). Pulling the hairs out is remarkably painless for most dogs. Then swab the inside of the ear with a soft cloth (or Q-Tip, if you have good aim and your dog has small ears). An ear cleanser should be relatively inexpensive and free from alcohol.

Putting Their Best Feet Forward

Pedicure. This is my least favorite part of caring for my dogs, and I will occasionally take them to Petsmart with me when I go to pick up their special, hypoallergenic prescription diet, and pay $5 to have someone trim their nails. If you are brave enough to do it yourself, ThePetCenter.com has instructions. Remember that it is uncomfortable for dogs, as they have nerve endings in their claws that we don't in our fingernails, so be gentle and patient, but firm.

Flea Market

When I went to Petsmart grooming, I often paid extra for anti-flea treatments, in addition to using Advantage flea-treatment capsules (I use Advantage rather than the better-known Advantix — it's cheaper and safer around cats). The combination of a flea bath AND flea medication is not necessary. Stick with whatever your vet gives you (Advantage, Advantix, whatever) and forgo anything else. You will need to wait about a week after bathing your dog before using any flea treatments. And all dogs should be protected against fleas, unless you want to deal with worms some day. You don't, trust me. Grossest thing ever.

Smells Like Wasted Money

Perfumes. Bunk. Unless your carry your precious poochie in your handbag, or unless your dog is exceptionally stinky, and your vet has told you that it's not a medical problem and you just have a stinky dog, dog perfumes are simply a waste of money. They can cause skin irritation, and probably cause your dog immense embarrassment around other dogs.

Written by Andrea Karim and published on Wise Bread. Read more Frugal Living articles from Wise Bread.

Pet Peeves Part 1: Couture Critters Are Expensive!

Andrea Karim — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 22:35:37 +0000

All totaled, my dogs cost me $600 every month last year.

Between vet visits and allergy meds and their special diet and grooming and the dog walker and new bedding and a bark collar and having to replace my entire first floor carpet because of one doggie's explosive bowels, I spent more on my dogs each month than I did on my own health and beauty needs.

Doggie Vogue

Just so you don't think that I'm one of those curmudgeons who refuses to dress her dog up for Halloween, I would just like you to remember this: I contemplating paying over $1000 to give my dog a facelift. And for the record, it's not that unusual.

My current home, Seattle, has more dogs per household than children. I don't think that this is a bad thing - we're just a dog-lovin' town. Although most Seattle dog owners are probably the fleece-wearing, kayak-owning, large-dog caregiving types, we are no stranger to the coddled cutesy canine - we're home to several excellent boutiques, some of which sell outrageously-priced but fantastic doggie paraphernalia.

High Maintenance Bitch features some of the greatest items you will ever find for your precious little Poopsie (note: the store is having a fight with some no-humor, overly-sensitive parents regarding the store's name - apparently, parents are horrified that children might see the b-word on a sign while walking down the street). There's no shortage of online shops in which you can blow tons of money on unnecessary bling for your little things (for the record, my shih tzu is named Little Thing, as in "You're such a cute little thing!"). Even Target carries a frighteningly adorable array of fashion for Fido.

Pets get everything these days. Pet therapists will tell you what weighs on your critter's mind. Dogs get massages.

I don't get massages myself, but if I heard that I needed one for my dog, I would consider it.

Resistance is Not Futile

But we must resist! Or if not resist, then definitely evaluate. Childless dog owners like me often have a misplaced parental necessity to dress up and coo over our little precious puppies, but to what end?

Some dogs love to dress up (my sister's dog, a Lab-Sharpei-Chow mix pictured here with my sis), likes to strut around in my brother-in-law's t-shirts. You've never seen a dog with prouder body language than Zero once you put a t-shirt over his giant head. But of my own dogs, only one tolerates his rain slicker; the other throws himself bodily against any available surface in an attempt to remove any stitch of clothing on his long, fat little body.

Neither of them particularly likes being dressed up as a pumpkin, as much as I want to subject them to it. Believe me, I love the idea of getting them dolled up and photographed.

But I also think it's important to figure out what is best for your pet. Take the rain coat example - I finally determined that it simply wasn't going to work with one of the dogs. He doesn't mind getting rained on, and it only takes me a minute to towel him off, so now I know not to waste my money on buying clothes for him.

A local Seattle blogger named Ben Huh (whose family moniker has officially eclipsed Momofuku as Best Last Name Ever) runs a cutey-petooty site called Itchmo that tracks Seattle pet happenings, and he posted a helpful article about saving money on pet food that I found useful. That's his wife Emily, with their pooch Nemo in the picture. It was because of Ben's site that I decided to start a five-part series of posts on the cost of pet ownership, and include some tips on how to reduce those costs. Well, that, and finding out what our Sarah spends on her turtle every month.

I've gone from spending hundreds on my dogs every month to spending maybe $100 a month, including vet care. I've learned a thing or two about caring for the fussiest creatures, and I'll be sharing that with Wise Bread readers.

So, starting next week, I'll offer some how-to's on saving money while still providing the best care for your pets. Food, grooming, vet bills and insurance, and boarding will all be covered over the course of next week. I've interviewed friends, family, and vets on the best ways to trim your pet spending without depriving your cat of her condo or your Chihuahua of her leopard-print cape. After all, your pet's happiness matters, and if Lola can't be without her rhinestone-studded collar, then we have to find a way to keep her in it.

Next up: Saving money on pet food

Written by Andrea Karim and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.