GINA: Hello, I'm Gina Nelson with Boomster.com and I'd like to welcome you to our new and exciting series of Boomster pet talk shows with the famed veterinarian Dr. Carol Osbourne.

GINA: Hi, Dr. Carol.

DR. CAROL: Hi, Gina.

GINA: We're happy you're here. Today Dr. Carol's going to be discussing great getaways for you and your pet. She'll offer tips and suggestions on safe, exciting travel adventures and locations for your and your pet to consider. Dr. Carol will also be available to answer your questions submitted during the show. So, feel free to use the chat window below the video screens to enter your questions. I'll be monitoring them and asking Dr. Carol the questions and they come up.

Dr. Carol, how about you take it away?

DR. CAROL: Great. According to a recent survey, one our of every five Americans would prefer to spend their great getaway with a furry friend as opposed to their significant other. But regardless of who you decide to spend your getaway with and whether you're thinking of enjoying an award-winning weekend with [UNCLEAR] at Westminster, cruising the San Francisco Bay or visiting Vancouver for the Winter Olympic Games, pet traveling is the latest rage. And over 30,000 pet-friendly venues have opened up their doors to pet travelers. Now, the bottom line is: they're competing for your business. They're offering pet perks galore and they are willing to cater to your every need. Hotel choices range from the Ritz Carlton and the Hilton Inns, to the Starwood Roof and the Hotel W. Now, certain groups like the Starwood and Hotel W, have initiated pet programs to try to differentiate themselves from the ever growing pack of pet-friendly properties. Amenities include designer dog beds made to match their signature human beds, plush puppy ropes along with leashes and collars, puppy pagers. They also offer a pet massage therapist ready to roll when you would like your pet to be massaged. And they place sausages on the pillow at turndown time. For those of you that are looking for something a little bit different, there are camp grounds, off leash parks, ski resorts, such as Telluride and beaches that are pet friendly, including those in Key West and Santa Belle. Now, for those of you thinking flying the friendly skies, pet lovers can rejoice. You don't have to worry about cold cargo holds anymore; dogs and cats can finally fly first class on Pet Airways. It's the first pets only, no humans allowed airline. Your pet will embark on a gorgeous, Beechcraft 1900. The jet accommodates 19 “pawsengars.” They fly nonstop between nine major U.S. cities. And the demand is so high, they have increased their flight schedule over 30% from their initial launch, which was just last July. Now, your pet will be hand-walked up the paw-printed ramp into the cabin. The cabin is fully lit, climate controlled and pressurized. As far as carrier goes, you don't have to worry about a carrier because each cabin becomes fully stocked with customed carriers available to fit pets of all shapes and sizes. Your pet will be checked by a personal attendant every fifteen minutes, who will even provide medications if they should be needed. Now, what's interesting to know about Pet Airways, is that a variety of rescues as well as the ASPCA and the North Coast Animal League have gotten together and generously donated funds as well as time and at this point, they have rescued and placed into good homes, over 30 chiwawas, as well as a variety of dogs and cats that have been picked up from situations in which they were abandoned, neglected and/or abused. Now, before you take any trip, first of all you need to plan well ahead of time and make sure that your pet is welcome at the destination of your choice. Second, you need to visit your vet and make sure your pet is healthy and able to travel. While you're at the veterinarian, your pet will have a checkup. You will make sure he is up to date on his shots. It's a great idea to get a copy of your shot records, just in case you happen to be in a strange location and you come down with some type of health issue. And for those of you traveling by commercial airlines, you'll need to have a health certificate signed by your veterinarian within ten to thirty dates of the date of your departure. For those of you that have pets that are very old, young, sick or frail, as well as those that are pregnant and perhaps in heat, it's a better idea to leave those pets at home. If you're at a loss as to where to keep your pet and to who might watch your pet, log onto House Sitters of America. They've got a variety of people that are true pet lovers and some of which will even watch your pets at no charge. Once you finish with the vet, you need to visit the groomer; make sure that your pet is clean, smells good and his or her nails are well trimmed. After that, pet travelers need to understand basic obedience and at the very minimum, pets should come when called as well as sit and stay. If you have a pet that's unruly, has no manners, is aggressive or a barker, your better choice would be to leave that particular pet at home. Now we come down to carriers. As far as airline approved carriers for commercial airlines, their definition of an “airline approved carrier” and size; the carrier should be big enough for your pet to quote, “stand up, sit down, turn around and lie down.” Now, if you're traveling by another means and you're not looking for a carrier, other choices would include a pet safety belt, a car seat or a harness, all of which make great, safe pet alternatives. Now, what about the cost of flying those friendly skies? Cost-wise, a hundred and forty-nine dollars each way. And they have a great rewards program: you simply log on to PetAirways.com, then you join “My Pet Club,” which is completely free. As far as the rewards points goes, your pet will receive a hundred points for each one-way trip; two-hundred points for each round-trip flight. And as soon as your pet accumulates a thousand points, he or she is entitled to a roundtrip ticket wherever he would like to go. You don't have to worry about the reward points expiring and they are transferable to pet members of the same family. Now, some of my favorite holistic traveling remedies. In general, to avoid motion sickness, no food or water within about four hours of flight time. If you're traveling by other means, a little piece of a ginger snap cookie works wonderfully, as does a natural liquid homeopathic remedy called Box 5-Flour Remedy. You can put a few drops into your pet's food, mouth or water and it works like a charm. You can also take the liquid and put a few drops onto the pressure points of your pet and that would include the hairless areas of the inside of the ear, as well as the groin. Now, for those of you that experience an upset stomach and/or indigestion while you're on the road, remember that the rule of thumb: no food or water for four to six hours and then think about making yourself a cup of warm peppermint tea. It will soothe your tummy as well as your pet's. They have a lot of great online resources; trips for pets, pet travel center, pets on the go is fabulous and House Sitters of America. Another site is called Toys for the Traveling Pet. And one of the products that I thought was great is a product called “doggles.” This is the ultimate in K9 eyewear for the fashion minded traveler. They offer one hundred percent UV protection. The lenses are shatter proof, anti fog, interchangeable and the frames are flexible. So, they will fit pet heads of all shapes and sizes. If you have a dog that likes to stick its head out the window when you're driving in your car, riding in the back of your truck, on your bike, if he's down at the beach or on the ski slopes, consider a pair of “doggles.” All in all, if you make proper preparations well in advance, train your pet and give him lots of love and extra attention. You'll both have a wonderful time. Remember that traveling with pets is a great way to bond and you'll both benefit from the special time that you'll spend together. For those of you that are traveling sickles, pets are a great social ice breaker. They help to spark up new conversations, so you can make new friends and meet new people. Thank you.

GINA: That was great, Dr. Carol, lots of great information. We have a question from Steve in our audience. I think I should tee it up first with: What commercial airlines are pet friendly as far as the pets traveling in with the passengers and if your pet has to travel, this is a question from Steve, in the belly of the plane, you know, what should you be aware of, concerned about or do in advance if that's your situation?

DR. CAROL: Okay. In general, just about all commercial airlines accept pets other than Southwest. Valid considerations to keep in mind when flying commercially: if your pet is not allowed to go in the cabin and you need to get that organized and booked with each particular airline. Little pets that can fit under the seat generally can go in the cabin with you. Large pets would need to go in the cargo section. If that's the case for you, remember to book direct, nonstop flights. Don't fly during extremes of temperature. If it's very hot or very cold, it's not a great time to fly. For those of you that have breakio sopholic breeds, like pugs and Boston terriers, who already have a bit of a respiratory compromise, just based on the anatomy of their breathing, if that pet has to go in the cargo section, always ask if flowers will be on board. Flowers are generally packed in dry ice and the fumes from the dry ice can be very toxic. So, that's not going to be doing your pet much of a favor, if it comes off the plane and then you have to deal with a situation like that.

Other things to keep in mind if you're traveling by train, Amtrak does not accept pets. There are certain cruise lines like Carnival that does accept pets. As far as car, type of transportation, most accept pets, including Hertz and Avis. There are also limousine services that welcome pets, as well.

GINA: That's great. What if you're planning a trip with your pet, is there something you can do ahead of time to look forward as far as where you're going to be in the event that you may need veterinarian care for your pet, is there a website to go to or should you ask your existing pet? Any ideas about that?

DR. CAROL: It's always good to talk to your vet and ask for referrals from friends. A lot of the hotel chains that I mentioned earlier, the Starwood, the W, Lowes, the Ritz Carlton and Hilton, those hotels are so keen on pet travelers that they have a whole pet program prepared for you when you arrive and part of the amenities offered are local veterinarians, pet services, pet activities, doggy daycare – it runs the gamut. So, the information is readily available. There are also pet emergency sites. You can check with the Animal Poison Control Center, if your pet gets into something and you're not quite sure if you should be concerned or not. And there are…right on PetAirways.com, they offer the same type of information, as well as competitive rates from various commercial airlines. They also offer a neat little pet pager, so you can actually keep track of your pet while he's flying the friendly skies and I thought that was fabulous.

GINA: That's great. It's funny, I think Steve, one of our viewers and I, are thinking along the same lines here tonight. He's just had a question that I was just thinking about asking you. You mentioned a way to calm your pet prior to pet travel, are there any tranquilizers or over-the-counter sedatives or holistic, natural sedatives that you would recommend for your pet if you think they're going to be antsy or uncomfortable?

DR. CAROL: Absolutely. Traditionally, the standard tranquilizers that your veterinarian might primarily [UNCLEAR] is Promazine. That's worrisome because that causes a big drop in blood pressure. So, if you have an older pet or a younger pet with any type of a blood pressure issue or a heart compromise, stay away from that. From your veterinarian, safe ways to sedate your pet, primarily Valium or the generic of which is Diazipam. Going to natural remedies that are wonderful and very safe: Box 5-Flower Remedy, it's just a natural homeopathic mixture of five flowers. It is 100% safe and it will calm you down and get those nerves to settle down. It'll do that for you as well as your pet. In addition to that, melatonin: for little pets, melatonin is just a little amino acid. It's also the number one most important amino acid to keep your brain sharp and avoid senility and Alzheimer's-type issues. You can pick it up at just about any pharmacy or health food store. For little pets, let's say, 35 pounds and under, one milligram ought to work like a charm. For pets up to 50 or 60 pounds, I would give them two milligrams, about twenty minutes before you decide to take off for your destination.

GINA: Would you try doing that a day or two ahead of time just to see how they react to that or…?

DR. CAROL: Yeah, quite honestly, I would do that probably a week or so ahead of time so that you can get an idea of what dose is appropriate, how long it lasts and how that particular product suits your pet. A couple of other things that I was going to mention, for those of you traveling by car, remember that you're going to need to stop every few hours so that you can get out, stretch and take care of business. So, leave a little bit early so you have plenty of time. It's a great idea to bring along some of your pets regular water, as well as food. That helps to avoid upset tummies and it's also a great idea to pick up a little pet first aid kit, just in case you run into an issue, you can address basic first aid there yourself.

GINA: That sounds great. We have some questions that we've gotten into Boomster and I'm sure you have some in your mailbag, but before we get to that, I want to put you on the spot, I hope you don't mind.

DR. CAROL: Okay.

GINA: Love to hear your greatest pet getaway story with one of your pets – first one that comes to mind.

DR. CAROL: Well, the first one that comes to mind is I used to do a lot of flying with pets and I have a little toy munchkin that weighed about two pounds and looked like a small lion. And his name was Mussafah. We flew across the country multiple times. One occasion, in particular, was over a holiday, we were flying in from Los Angeles and the plane was literally packed. Well, lo and behold, we were back in the regular section of the plane and little Mussafah happened to wiggle his way out of his carrier, which was neatly placed under my seat. He then proceeded to run up and down the aisles, into first class, created the most incredible havoc you could ever imagine.

[LAUGHTER]

DR. CAROL: Well, needless to say I almost got arrested by the airline police. I was a little bit concerned about how I was going to make it off the plane. I took my hair, shoved it under my hat, put the carrier under my arm and bee-lined off the plane. That is one of my most memorable pet flying occasions.

GINA: Well, that sounds like a literal getaway that you had to come up with. You definitely had to get away from that.

[LAUGHTER]

GINA: Thanks for sharing that.

DR. CAROL: That was indeed a literal getaway. I had another funny experience. I was again up in Los Angeles for a pet show and I had all kinds of exotic little pocket pets with me that I had carted up into my hotel room, which was, like, on the 30 or 40th floor. And one of the pets that I had was a hedgehog and those are little prickly little things that curl up into a ball. Anyhow, I got everyone situated and then I went out to run some errands and then I came back to the room and lo and behold, my little hedgehog had disappeared. We looked high and low, called the hotel people to check everything, check the vents and the ducts. And I probably shouldn't say this, but we then happened to notice that there was a crack in the window. Needless to say, these little hedgehogs, which are very popular in Australia, have a habit of crawling wherever they would like to go. And if they really want to beeline and get somewhere quickly, they roll up in a ball and roll to wherever they happen to be going. Anyhow, I think that little hedgehog had quite a roll, so if you're traveling with pets and keeping them in your hotel room, make sure to shut all your windows.

[LAUGHTER]

GINA: So, never to be found again?

DR. CAROL: We never found that little hedgehog again.

GINA: Aw, that's too bad.

DR. CAROL: Never, ever, ever. But they do roll up into a ball and they have prickers, so believe me, no one, including dogs, would get near them. And they're quite agile, so my biggest guess is he rolled away to safety and went onto enjoy a new life.

GINA: That's good, he got a true getaway. Well, thank you so much, you've shared great information about traveling with your pets via car, via train, airplane, or if you have a situation where your pet needs to stay home when you need to go, the House Sitters, I forget, what was the name of that?

DR. CAROL: House Sitters of America.com. And you know, one of the big things, the stomach upsets and the indigestion when you're on the road, remember that table scraps are not the same as table food. Good table food is as healthy for you as it is for your pet. But the fatty things, you know, all the fat and the extra juices in gravy – if you're not going to eat it, neither should your pet. And if you're, you're switching diets because you're traveling or there's a health issue or you're trying to lose weight, remember you want to blend diets gradually. And what I tell people is on Week One, go with 75% of your original diet, 25% of the new diet, you should always at least feed twice a day. Week Two, 50% old diet mixed with 50% new. Week Three, 75% new and 25% old. And by Week Four, your pet should be completely weaned onto the new diet and you wont suffer any type of stomach issue at all.

GINA: That's great news because that was one of our questions coming in tonight, what is the pace for transitioning your pet to new food? So, sounds like it's about a four-week process.

DR. CAROL: Exactly. Again, in general, if you're transitioning your pet from a lower quality food to a higher quality food, many people will tell you that you don't need to go through all that. I still suggest a bit of a gradual change. Remember, that if your pet eats a given food, no matter what kind it might be and gets gas, indigestion loose stool, that is a sign that your pet is telling you: “Hey Mom, the food is just too rich.” For example, if you eat Mexican food and have indigestion, that means that you might like Mexican food, but Mexican food doesn't like you. I run into pet owners who tell me that they've switched to a particular diet, raw food is a big one. And their pet has had loose stool for months on end. The fluid that your dog or car looses in that diuretic stool is not a good thing, it will lead to dehydration and then further health issues. So switch to a diet and you see a little gas or loose stool, just switch to a different diet. If you're feeding a raw diet and you can't get that stool under control, make another suggestion or you know, pick another choice because that's just a little bit too rich for your particular pet. For people going from, let's say, a commercial to a homemade venue or even from a commercial canned, dried or raw – the portions, in general, are approximately the same. If you were feeding a cup of dry food, let's say to a 35-pound dog, half a cup morning and night, your portions, whether it be raw or homemade, would be, again, approximately the same.

GINA: That's great. That's great. Another question we've gotten recently, and I believe you said you're seeing it, as well, come up often is: What's the best way to introduce dogs to cats and vice versa? We're getting away from social interactions with humans; what's a good way to introduce a dog to a cat and vice versa?

DR. CAROL: Well, that's an excellent question. In general, it needs to be slow and very gradual. One great way to do it is if you have a home with doors between two given rooms and then there's a little bit of space underneath that door, you could put the dog in one room and the kitty in the other room. And what will happen over the next couple of days is they will get to know each other through their sense of smell, under that little spot in the door. In the morning and evening you can even snuggle the food bowls right up to the door so that, again, they become familiar with each other's smell and scent. Then, the big day when they're going to meet, face to face. What you want to do, in general, you want to put your kitty in a carrier and have your dog with you on a leash. And then put the kitty in the middle of the room, have your dog on a leash, and slowly, you'll do this in about fifteen minute sessions, once or twice a day, you don't want to stress out too much over it. But at first your dog will be completely enamored with this new person in our home, a new four-footed person. And he'll sniff and smell and put up his tail and his hair might rise, and that'll last for a given period of time. And eventually, your dog will not even be interested in that cat that's in that carrier. As soon as you hit that point, what you want to do, if you can, is take your kitty out of the carrier and I recommend a little kitty harness, and make sure your kitty's nails are trimmed. And then, take your kitty with the harness, put the kitty in your lap and have someone else in your home bring the dog in, stand in the entrance to the door on a leash and just see what happens. What you're looking for is for that dog to just pay no attention to that cat. As long as that's the situation, then slowly you can bring the dog closer and closer to the cat. As long as the kitty's calm and the dog couldn't care less, pretty soon you will find they'll start to sniff each other and become the very best of friends. But as soon as your dog perks up his ears, is very interested, starts to sniff, then he's still much too interested and that means that you need to go back to one pet in one room, the other in another, separated by that door, until they become so familiar with each other's smell, scent and sounds that they just, literally, don't care. Then they'll get along and be friends for life, for a lifetime.

GINA: That's great. Does breed of dog or cat matter or size, whether the dog's bigger, or is it all about just taking your time and letting them…?

DR. CAROL: You know, I think that I have personally not met too many dogs and cats that cannot be taught to get along. Some breeds, your mastiffs, for example, I don't recommend mixing them with kitties because the might just eat that kitty for dinner. In general, Gina, you are absolutely correct. The key is not the breed of the dog or the size of either pet, but it's that slow gradual introduction. And as soon as nobody cares, then you take the next step with respect to your introductions.

GINA: Okay. We have a question from one of our viewers. Whether you're traveling or if it's in your hometown and you just come upon a homeless pet, should you feed that pet? What's the best thing you can do to help that pet?

DR. CAROL: Well, if you feel comfortable and you want to help that pet, then go ahead and pick that pet up or you know, get him a leash or a collar. I think that it's always a great idea to report that particular pet to your local shelter, or animal health care facility. Today, many pets are microchipped and they can run a scanner over that pet which will immediately reveal the owner's name, address and information at which point, they can be contacted and reunited. If you make those attempts and perhaps, throw an ad online or in your local newspaper and you know that that pet's owner is nowhere to be found and you feel that you want to offer that particular pet a home, go ahead, bring the pet to your veterinarian, and you know, you can go ahead with shots and physical exams at that point. If you don't feel that that pet is an animal that would make a great companion for yourself and you've let the local shelters know, so that if an owner is available they can be contacted, then just about every city has a variety of shelters, some of which are no-kill, that will do their very best to try and find that pet a great and wonderful home.

GINA: That's great. Before we wrap up, are there questions from your mailbag or website that are coming in that you'd like to take thos opportunity to address?

DR. CAROL: Well, I get all kinds of questions everyday and one of the most common questions that I get with respect to pets that might be a little big pudgy: How do you get your pet to lose weight? Pets lose weight pretty much the same way that people do. And one of the biggest mistakes that I see for people trying to get their pets to lose weight, and it's a very common mistake that we also make, is feeding that pet one great big meal a day. When you want to lose weight, the key is to feed small, multiple meals that are high in protein, high in fiber and low in fat. Each time we eat, it stimulates our metabolism, which requires energy and burns calories. Ideally, pets should eat every four hours, that keeps insulin levels stable and avoids hunger surges, that's also true for people. And check with your vet to make sure that your pet doesn't have a disorder, liver disease, kidney disease, Cushings and hypothyroidism would be the top four diseases that can occur and make it look like your pet is obese, when in reality, there's another issue going on.

GINA: That's great. Thank you for your time tonight. We're going to have another show next week. The topic's going to be “Ask Dr. Carol.” Everyone participating tonight and that receive our introductory e-mail this weekend will have the opportunity to send in their questions ahead of time. You'll also be grabbing any questions that you have from your website and anything we have coming in on ours. It's going to be a hodgepodge of ask Dr. Carol questions next week. So, thank you for joining us tonight Dr. Carol, we appreciate your information and advice, as always. And I hope you have a great evening.

DR. CAROL: Well, thank you. And for those of you that are still watching, if you'd like to suggest a topic, have particular questions or even would like to suggest a time of day that might be more convenient for you, please let us know because we welcome your comments, as well as your suggestions.

GINA: Great idea.

DR. CAROL: Thank you very much.

GINA: Thanks Dr. Carol and have a great night.

DR. CAROL: Thank you. You, too.