I live with a glass half full attitude but when things go wrong on a road trip... Wait. When a lot of things go wrong on a road trip, I admit that is hard to stay positive. That is where the pets come in. They don't know that seemingly everything had gone wrong on our last road trip from the moment I set up the tent at the campsite to the second I finished loading the car to go home. Wilhelm, Brychwyn, Huxley, Amelia and Leo are three dogs, a cat and a cockatoo who live in the moment. They savor their travels. And even when I spend an entire trip constantly in crisis mode, dealing with one travel disaster after another, they have each other. Okay. The trip wasn't that bad. I did have time snap a few photos of my snuggly traveling pets. When putting as many miles in as we do, things are bound to go wrong at some point. With my usual positive attitude, I am grateful we all stayed safe and snug the entire trip. And no matter what, we all had each other for encouraging perspective, comfort and, of course, snuggles.
Typist: Bethany
I live with a glass half full attitude but when things go wrong on a road trip... Wait. When a lot of things go wrong on a road trip, I admit that is hard to stay positive. That is where the pets come in. They don't know that seemingly everything had gone wrong on our last road trip from the moment I set up the tent at the campsite to the second I finished loading the car to go home. Wilhelm, Brychwyn, Huxley, Amelia and Leo are three dogs, a cat and a cockatoo who live in the moment. They savor their travels. And even when I spend an entire trip constantly in crisis mode, dealing with one travel disaster after another, they have each other. Okay. The trip wasn't that bad. I did have time snap a few photos of my snuggly traveling pets. When putting as many miles in as we do, things are bound to go wrong at some point. With my usual positive attitude, I am grateful we all stayed safe and snug the entire trip. And no matter what, we all had each other for encouraging perspective, comfort and, of course, snuggles.
Share this post:
7 Comments
Share this post:
Dog Friendly Road Trip Ready: Toss Healthy #PawNatural Canine PowerStew Cans In A Bag & Go7/17/2015
This post is sponsored by Only Natural Pet® and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about the NEW CaninePowerStew™, but Cascadian Nomads only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Only Natural Pet is not responsible for the content of this article.
Typist: Bethany
Like every good pet friendly traveler, I cart way more stuff for the dogs than I do for myself. Being super organized with where all the hit the road items are stored in the house, I still spend a few hours packing up everything all three dogs need for a road trip. The most time consuming of the packing process is preparing dog food especially because I am very careful about what and how much food I pack. Nothing spoils a road trip faster than dogs that won't eat, dogs with upset stomachs or a possibility of running out of dog food. So I have begun a quest to find grain-free, made in the USA, natural dog food in cans that easily toss into a bag for an adventure and, most importantly, that the dogs love to eat.
I was very pleased to learn that a brand I already trust, Only Natural Pet®, recently launched a new line of holistically formulated, allergy friendly dog food in cans, Canine PowerStew™. This high quality, protein rich meat as the first ingredient canned food lives up to my high standards so the question before packing up PowerStew for our next road trip was whether or not the dogs would like it too. Before feeding an entire meal of PowerStew, I started off by giving the three dogs a sample of each of the three available flavors, Beef & Lamb, Chicken & Liver and Turkey & Duck. Every can of PowerStew is a biologically appropriate diet for dogs of all lifestyles, perfect for my diverse trio. The PowerStew sampling made me and most of all the dogs anxious for PowerStew meal time. The chunky stew style of the Carrageenan free canned food settled well with all three dogs meals and I am appreciative in these hot summer months that they licked up every last bit of the hydrating broth. I always worry about Wilhelm, Brychwyn and Huxley staying hydrated when we travel.
Besides comfort in knowing the dogs get help staying hydrated and will happily eat a complete and balanced meal while traveling with PowerStew, bringing along the wholesome canned food offers many other conveniences. PowerStew cans are easy to pack and I know the dogs will not be able to get into the food before or between meals. While a bit heavier than other traveling food options, I can recycle the cans as I go making space for the inevitable expanding items as a road trip drags on and also for souvenirs along the way. With simple math and without breaking the bank, I can calculate exactly how much food we need, grab the right amount of cans and go. PowerStew is also available in variety packs so I can easily mix up protein sources and flavors as we travel. I always love getting ready for a road trip but as I begin the packing preparations for our next trip, I look forward to the ease of tossing Canine PowerStew into a bag and hitting the road. I get the feeling from the happy, healthy PowerStew meal sated dogs looking at me as if they are ready to go as soon as I close my laptop that they agree.
Share this post:
Typist: Bethany
While preparing for a pet friendly day trip, weekend camping excursion or months long cross continent drive, I clearly remember my father always checking and strategically placing our vehicle fire extinguishers. But my father was not the only traveling fire safety teacher I had. In fact, it was integral to have a second fire safety expert in my life because when my father lit his shirt sleeve on fire while lighting the campfire, it was my mother shouting "stop, drop and roll" that saved him from a worse burn on his arm. The night that my father burned his arm was also a good lesson in always knowing where the nearest hospital is located. That lesson translates in my adult pet travels to also always knowing where to find the nearest emergency vet. The big picture moral from my life with two fire safe travel role models is always be prepared and know what to do in case of any emergency. My father never used any of those of fire extinguishers he so carefully prepared and we never evacuated our home the way we had practiced in our family fire drills. And I will obviously never forget "stop, drop and roll." It always helps to practice and to be ready for anything.
Pet Friendly Lodging: Know the facilities fire escape plan. If the fire escape plan includes something that may be impossible for a pet like a fire ladder, ask for a different room. If the fire escape plan includes something a pet may be unfamiliar with like a narrow hallway or open stairway, practice the escape before settling in to sleep. Remember that places that are not "pet proofed," which in my experience is every hotel and motel ever, a pet can start a fire. I don't recommend leaving pets alone in a room or allowing them to roam a room. My pets stay confined in crates and/or with exercise pens even when I am in the room with them.
Pet Friendly Camping: Ask the rangers about the park fire or emergency escape plan. It has been my experience that not all locations have an official or site specific plan so be prepared to make a personal campground fire escape plan. Remember that escape by vehicle may not be possible so prepare and be familiar with a walking route to safety. Safe places are usually the nearest ranger station, store or road. Always keep a fire extinguisher near tents and the camp stove. Do not allow pets near the camp stove. Do not allow pets near the campfire. I don't trust a leash or a tether to keep the pets a safe enough distance from the campfire. I always keep them safely confined in their crates or exercise pens. Never leave a campfire unattended or pets unattended near a campfire. Road Trip Emergencies: Have a plan to evacuate traveling pets from a vehicle on fire or at risk of fire. I always keep my fire extinguisher and pet first aid kit within reach of the driver. The cat and cockatoo always travel in a crate but the leashes the dogs travel in are secured to the vehicle. There are emergency leashes in my pet first aid kit but I also try to pack the car so leashes are quickly available.
At Home: Practice for fire emergencies and fire evacuations. On average, there's only two minutes to safely evacuate a burning home once a smoke alarm has signaled the fire. Wilhelm, Brychwyn, Huxley and Leo sleep confined in crates/a cage but Amelia could be more difficult to track down. I do my best to keep up on the cats ever changing sleeping hovels and hiding places. I am prepared to evacuate all of the pets by having spare leashes for the dogs and carriers for the cat and cockatoo readily available. There are "Pets Inside" emergency decals on my front window and front door in case of an emergency when I am not here to help my pets. I also make sure that any pet sitters or neighbors caring for my pets know where the fire extinguishers, emergency leashes and pet carriers are located in my home. Every once in a while, I randomly shout "stop, drop and roll" and reward non-reacting, calm pets.
Fire First Aid: If the worst happens and a pet catches fire, smother the fire with a (preferably damp) towel, blanket or anything nearby that will rapidly deprive the burning fur or feathers of oxygen. Quickly put cool water on the burned area, followed by a cold compress and seek immediate veterinary help. Knowing pet first aid and CPR and having appropriately sized dog and cat CPR masks in a pet first aid kit can be lifesaving for a traumatized pet.
During the camping trip when my dad burned his arm, I don't remember where my dog, Natasha, was during the upheaval. I think she was with me in the tent, out of harms way. I watched my burning father start to run, obey my moms solid "stop, drop and roll," then he and my mom surveyed the damage to his arm by flashlight. Natasha was always a pretty laid back dog which is probably why until we loaded into the car to take my dad to the hospital, I am not certain where she was. Natasha did not chase my running, burning father or burst from the tent to help check the wound. But that is the kind of campsite chaos Wilhelm, Brychwyn and Huxley, a crazy cat and easily startled cockatoo would cause were a situation like that to occur to Jason and I. Desensitizing the dogs, cat and cockatoo to a "stop, drop and roll" yell, an emergency evacuation, the sight of a fire extinguisher or being covered with a blanket to smother burning fur or feathers is yet another reason for fire safety practice and being prepared for anything. I hate to think of any situation where I would need the pets to be calm through a fire but having experienced a campfire emergency myself, I know the true importance of traveling fire safety.
Cascadian Nomads was not asked to or paid to promote any businesses or organizations mentioned and linked in this post.
We're just sharing important information or stuff we like!
Share this post:
|
Cascadian Nomads
|