A Healthy Pet Travels Better

Diet is always the first line of defense and is the foundation of health. A pet of sound mind and body will deal with the stress of traveling easier.

If your companion is consuming highly processed food that provides only minimal nutrition and includes any number of toxins such as chemical preservatives, food dyes, additives and fillers, his immune system is being depleted daily just to cope with his diet. Fresh food is the first step in building a strong immune system. Many people wait until their animal has a serious or chronic illness such as cancer, kidney disease or allergies (to name a few), to finally change the diet. Prevention is so much kinder and immeasurably more effective. Feeding a varied diet that includes as much fresh food as possible does take a bit more effort than scooping kibble out of a bag, but it is truly worth the effort in the long run.

One of the benefits of a healthy diet is a healthy gastrointestinal tract. If the digestive tract is weakened by inflammation from allergies or inflammatory bowel disease or other digestive disorders, even the nutrients in a healthy diet are harder to process and absorb. Healing and maintaining the digestive tract is vital to overall health and immunity. Digestive enzymes, probiotics and essential fatty acids all play a role in gastrointestinal health and proper digestion.

Exercise must also be mentioned for its role in helping build and maintain a strong immune system. Moderate exercise has been shown to improve immune factors in humans and animals. Weight control is also key – overweight animals are much more susceptible to chronic and acute diseases and infections. Proper diet AND exercise are needed to help with weight control.

Keep your pet's health in mind during the preparation of your move or holiday trip. It is just as important as acclimating your pet to his new travel crate. Make the commitment and the whole family will enjoy the venture more.

Happy travels over the holidays.