Prevent Frozen Paws

With the winter weather season upon us the topic of paw protection needs to better understood. Many pet owners enjoy going for long walks with their dogs, at least this is what I observe in New York City. Whether you go for long walks with your dog in the snow or just open up the door and let them play out side, you need to think about "paw protection." When dogs are out in the snow the snow begins to freeze to their fur and form into small snow balls in between their toes and pads. When this happens your dog becomes very uncomfortable. Have you ever noticed your dog licking his paws out side while laying down? If so, there is a strong possibility that he is trying to rid his paws these snow clumps.

I constantly see pet owners trying to pull the snow out from their pets paws which is probably painful to the dog as well as you. It is also ineffective. In order to prevent this condition from occurring in the first place you can put Vaseline or a product such as Munchers Miracle which is a wax like substance. While Vaseline is probably cheaper it can also stain materials with grease. Misher's Miracle claims that their wax will not casue any stains.

Even when there is not snow on the ground it is important to understand that your pets paws can still be damaged. The salt on the side walks and roads are harmful to your pets pads and will cause damage to them as well as pain for your pet. The solution to this problem is to apply a wax such as Mushers Miracle. The manufacturers claim that they prevent salt burn. Salt burn is a relevent topic to those of you who live in a large city and walk your dog on the streets or sode walks.
Another paw protection option is to put dog boots on your pets paws. This may be a good option for dogs who are outside in the snow for long periods of time or are less energetic. High energy dogs are likely to just kick these off and loose them in the snow.

Flying with Continental

Continental offers two ways for your pet to fly, with you, or as cargo.

To have your pet fly in the cabin with you, it will cost you $125 each way, and tickets can be booked online or by calling. As with other airlines, the amount of pets allowed per cabin is limited. Young pets (under 8 weeks) cannot fly, the pet must stay in the kennel, no exit rows.... this all sounds pretty similar to the other airlines. This is the only airline that I have seen that makes a mention of seeing-eye dogs, noting that they are welcome on board or as checked baggage.

If you ship your pet as cargo, Continental has a plan called PetSafe. Using this, you can track your animals online, or can travel as QuickPak which has same day delivery. Continental seems to treat your animals as animals (and not as cargo). They also have a program where you can earn 1 frequent flyer mile for every $ you spend on transporting your pet (does not apply to the fee for in-cabin travel).

Another bonus- In Houston, Continental operates and on-airport kennel at its cargo facility. Continental can provide grooming and kenneling services for your pet. The fees are expensive compared to other boarding facilities, but the convience of having it in the airport (and having it perhaps your flight gets delayed but your pets does not make it a great service.

So Continental offers what the other airlines do, but earns extra points for making special provisions for seeing-eye dogs and for having an on-airport kennel in Houston.

If you're thinking about travelling with Continental, please look at their site to determine the details. Also, make sure to book early.

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/animals/default.aspx

Flying with Delta

Yesterday I wrote about JetBlue's new PetPaws program. Today I'd like to look a little more in-depth into another major airline's pet policies, Delta.  Delta offers three options for traveling with your pets. Bringing them as Carry-On, bringing them as Checked Baggage, and Shipping them as cargo.

First we'll talk about having your pet as a carry-on: 

Delta charges a one-way fee of $150 (and I thought JetBlue was expensive) One quirk is you won't be able to keep your pet with you if you're traveling to Hawaii. Hawaii has interesting quarantine laws, so if you are planning on flying and taking your pet, Delta has a few pointers on their website about how to keep the quarantine time minimal. Delta limits the number of pets to less than 4 per flight (depending on the size of the flight), so if you are flying Delta, it is best to notify them sooner rather than later if you plan on bringing your pet.  

As for your pets traveling as Checked Baggage or shipping them as cargo: If at all possible, I would avoid this. It can be traumatic for a pet to fly, especially if there is no one with them. If you must, then I recommend you read this page. Apparently your pet cannot fly as checked luggage if it is too hot (85F) or too cold (20F), or during the summer (May-Sept). They also require a health certificate and acclimation certificate. This will set you back $275 on a domestic flight and $550 for a international flight.

The last way is to ship a pet as cargo. There are less restrictions on time and weather, and for reptiles and amphibians, this is the only way to go. Delta ships based on weight, and they have a table on their site. 

In my opinion, Delta is far less catering to the pet crowd than JetBlue. They do however, have an extensive amount of information on their site, and if you're planning on traveling, you should check it out!

JetBlue's JetPaws

JetBlue has just started a new program created for people who like to fly with their pet.  On  their site you can download a travel guide with information about flying with your pet, and it includes limited information about travel destinations as well.  

While I don't really see anything groundbreaking, they are making flying with your pet easier for people.  However, it does come with a cost.  To book a flight you have to call JetBlue (they won't let you do it over the internet) and you have to pay a pet-fee of $100 EACH WAY.  Now personally, I think that's a bit expensive.  JetBlue is known for being a quality low cost airline, with flights as low as $39 and few flights starting at over $200.  The fact that you could pay more for your pet's ticket than you did for yours seems a bit off, but I suppose the airline industries are trying to make money where they can. The upside is that you do earn frequent flyer miles for your pet, which add directly into your account.  

If you are thinking about flying with your pet, I do reccommend you read their travel guide.  It is very informative, and spells out the rules, regulations and ettiquite of flying with your pet.

So overall, JetBlue is catering to the pet-loving crowd, making things easier and providing information and personal service.  While I think the costs are a little steep, I think that this is a good step for JetBlue, and overall am a fan of their professionalness and customer service. Keep coming back for reviews of other airlines flight policies.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Happy Pet Travel Blog.  We hope that this will provide you with up-to-date information about traveling with your pet, pets articles in the news, and anything else interesting.