Moving acclimation

ACampbell · 10-19-2007, 02:28 PM

My family is moving from sunny Arizona to upstate New York in February (military orders so I can't postpone it as much as I'd like to until summer) and I'm concerned with how to acclimate my dogs to the huge weather change, from a winter that rarely gets below 50F to a winter that rarely gets above that! I have never been there, just know what i"ve been told and that it's really cold, and none of my dogs have a lot of fur and won't get a thick coat due to our warm winters...I'm afraid they are going to freeze! I'm driving them out in a rental with my kids and my mother, it should be 4-5 day trip - what kind of things should I pack other than the obvious of dog food, water, treats, and toys? Am I going to have to resort to getting them those dog jacket things? This isn't something I've had to deal with, when it gets cold here they just bolt out the door to use the bathroom, or in the case of the bullmastiff/pit mix he was left outside on a chain all winter from what I was told.
I feel bad for them, my kids and I will be cold too, but we can add layers of clothes and the dogs can't...how can I make this transition easier on my dogs?

Renoman · 10-19-2007, 03:40 PM

How funny. I work for the DOD/Army and I'm trying to leave NE and head for Arizona or Texas. -

For quick in and out trips to potty, they'll probably be ok with no outerwear.
If you're going to be out for any length of time and it's extremely cold - you might consider getting them dog blankets.. they're designed just like horse blankets - easy on/easy off with velcro across chest and around belly to hold them on. They come in many styles and material. I live in New England and I have waterproof, fleece lined for the boys for the really cold days we have to go out.

After the first winter their coats should grow in a little thicker for next year, and by the time your tour is up and you get orders again, they'll be totally acclimated to the cold.

ACampbell · 10-19-2007, 04:21 PM

We'll probably retire in NY, my husband doesn't have that many (7) years left and typically they'd rather leave you in a place than uproot you again for only a year or two...who knows though, it's the Army.
I didn't know they had blankets similar to the horse blankets...I always loved those, they are so warm and flannel lined for out here...and they smell good, but maybe that's the horse rubbing off on them. I'll probably have to modify one for the basset hound(s) (still not sure if my old one is going to be able to go with or not) with that big body and no legs...I might just make some on my sewing machine, can't be too hard.
This has been a royal pain in the butt trying to schedule a move with pets. I'm going to have to rent a SUV (and probably not tell them I"m taking dogs in it) because my car isn't big enough for my kids and pets (Ford Mustangs don't have a lot of backseat room at all) but the airlines won't fly pets if the destination is under 45F and you don't have a letter of acclimation from the Vet, along with all the necessary vaccinations and health certificates...hence why my question, if they airlines won't fly them because it's cold, will it be bad on them.

Renoman · 10-19-2007, 05:00 PM

Yeah, with the Army you never know what's coming next.....

The airlines have set temperature parameters to limit their liability and prevent animals having to suffer through extremes. They don't want them sitting on the tarmac or flying/sitting in the cargo hold when there's extreme cold or heat.

It will probably take your dogs a while to adjust -- If you hit New York in February there's no guarantee, but it shouldn't be long before it starts warming up, so they really would only have Feb, Mar and April to deal with. Feb and March can be very cold, April is funny - you can never tell - I'm sure you know we've had blizzards in April here

You might experience some additional shedding since their coats will be adjusting to the new climate.

You also might want to get the blankets before you go so they'll be handy while you drive east.

Your bassets should be able to get a blanket that fits with some modifications from you since you're handy with the sewing machine.

All in all - their first winter here should be (hopefully) brief and hopefully not too cold for them.

ACampbell · 10-19-2007, 05:09 PM

I think that will work, I'll see what i can order online in the way of dog blankets...I really doubt we're going to have them here as warm as it is. I'm also trying to get some weight on the bullmastiff/apbt mix because he is thin and will take a long time to fatten up, otherwise he'll be one cold dog. It's such a change from having to shave my old dog (I had a GSD that my ex husband shot because he didn't like it while I was at work) in the summer to dogs that I'm worried are going to freeze in the winter. I think the lowest temperature I've noticed here was 25F and we had snow for 2 days, a whopping 6 inches. I can't wait until these guys see real snow though, it should be interesting. What about, and I saw these because my neighbor has them for her "Bug" and they are like slippers to keep her feet warm. Would this be beneficial or give them less traction?
I'm also starting to look up what motels will allow pets in their rooms for stops on the trip...not many do allow pets though.

Renoman · 10-19-2007, 06:21 PM

Personally, I would have then shot the ex.

The dog boots are great in case one of the dogs has a problem with his/her feet and being in the cold. They get cracked pads like we get cracked hands. My Chazz has real problems with being in the snow - if he's out more than 10 minutes - feet start bleeding. He wears boots. Buck has no issues with cold/snow.

You can order online the blankets - check www.valleyvet.com or www.kvvet.com. I personally like the Cardis brand blankets. They're very substantial and well made. A little expensive, but worth it.

There's a website that lists all the pet friendly hotels/motels. I think if you do a search for 'pet friendly hotels' you will find what you need.

Good luck to you - not an easy task - but just keep repeating to yourself 'only 7 more years, only 7 more years'.....

FriendsOfZoe · 10-19-2007, 06:26 PM

One thing to consider is that the whole northeast is having the hottest year on record...so you're in luck in that sense. It was 75 in Boston today and will be in the 70s for almost the entire next week...usually we're almost at our first frost by now. There's a good chance that real winter won't hit with a vengeance until January or later this year.
But the dogs will be fine inside at least, and you never know--they may LOVE the cold.

Renoman · 10-19-2007, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FriendsOfZoe

One thing to consider is that the whole northeast is having the hottest year on record...so you're in luck in that sense. It was 75 in Boston today and will be in the 70s for almost the entire next week...usually we're almost at our first frost by now. There's a good chance that real winter won't hit with a vengeance until January or later this year.
But the dogs will be fine inside at least, and you never know--they may LOVE the cold.

It was 75 in western MA as well and is supposed to be all weekend. Not sure about all next week. I'm not complaining ... I am cautiously optimistic....

FriendsOfZoe · 10-19-2007, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renoman

It was 75 in western MA as well and is supposed to be all weekend. Not sure about all next week. I'm not complaining ... I am cautiously optimistic....

I am pessimistic because I LOVE winter...and our building put the heat on, so our apartment is over 80 degrees now...feels like July, not late October. I miss fall.

But I guess it's nice for someone moving here from a hot climate.

ACampbell · 10-19-2007, 08:45 PM

75F is warm...oh no! It was 95F here today and felt great, I was walking around in a tank top and shorts to clean the yard...and sweating! Of course, our winters are so mild you can pretty much walk around with a light windbreaker at most...our coldest weather required a thin sweater and blue jeans, nothing else for me...I'm a desert rat from the word go though.
Good call on Valley Vet supply...I haven't looked at their catalog since I moved away from the ranch and got married! I'll have to order a copy, I can spend a fortune in those, especially when I had my horses (still up at grandma's house)...Anyway, good idea on the boots, I wasn't aware that chaffing occurs with cold weather? Shows where I've been my whole life. I'm used to dry and hot to extremely hot weather (120F? bring it on, it's better than being cold!) What other little nasty things happen with cold weather other than chaffing? Oh and will my dogs need Lyme disease vaccinations? I've never heard of a case of it out here, we just have rabies like you wouldn't believe! Oh and West Nile got pretty rampant out here with horses for awhile, over 100 cases in my county alone...is that a concern with dogs as well?

FriendsOfZoe · 10-19-2007, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACampbell

I'm used to dry and hot to extremely hot weather (120F? bring it on, it's better than being cold!) What other little nasty things happen with cold weather other than chaffing? Oh and will my dogs need Lyme disease vaccinations? I've never heard of a case of it out here, we just have rabies like you wouldn't believe! Oh and West Nile got pretty rampant out here with horses for awhile, over 100 cases in my county alone...is that a concern with dogs as well?

I'd always rather than be cold than hot (I melt), but I'll agree with you about dry--I hate humidity, too. You'll have to get used to that here. I've noticed that humidity seems to bother Zoe more than pure heat too...or maybe I just feel so much worse that I imagine it.

Other cold weather things to consider are dry skin and bathing...so don't over bathe and consider getting a dog hair dryer (if you have long haired dogs). Otherwise, I can't help you too much with the dogs--Zoe's only about to go into her first winter, and she'd better love it!

For you, I suggest a trip to LL Bean...long underwear, fleece, waterproof parkas, hats, gloves, scarves, a good pair of walking snow boots/sneakers (waterproof and insulated) and possibly some strap-on stud soles to give you traction when walking the furry friends on ice.

Just remember, cold is nicer than hot, because you can always put on more clothes, but there are only so many clothes to take off.

ACampbell · 10-19-2007, 10:13 PM

Yeah I'm gearing up at Lands End! Goose Down is the way to go as far as I can tell, since anything below 70F feels cold to me.
None of my dogs have long hair, the bullmastiff/APBT mix has that coarse bullmastiff short hair...it actually is prickly feeling if I rub him the wrong direction. The other two have a bit longer fur, not much...so doggy blankets it will be I"m sure. Valley Vet has them on for $24 each...seems like a good investment. I'll probably have to call them so I can get an accurate fit, I know the two bassets will need a Large, but if it will be too long for the shorty legs I don't know...I might end up making theirs. At 26" long but only 13" tall at the shoulder, I could see how it would drag the ground, and my female is shorter yet by about an inch. Might be easier to make one from scratch than to try to modify one, and probably a LOT cheaper too.
Are there any new vaccines they should get besides the Parvo, Distemper, and Rabies that they have already?

FriendsOfZoe · 10-20-2007, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACampbell

Oh and will my dogs need Lyme disease vaccinations? I've never heard of a case of it out here, we just have rabies like you wouldn't believe! Oh and West Nile got pretty rampant out here with horses for awhile, over 100 cases in my county alone...is that a concern with dogs as well?

Right, I meant to write about vaccinations before and forgot. Ticks and mosquitoes are out here of course, how bad depends a lot on the area you're going to be living in (near water, marshy, etc.). We use flea/tick/mosquito preventative year round (and worm meds too) which pretty much does the trick. If you are in a tick prone area, you may just want to check your dogs over if they've been outside in long grass...you can easily find a tool to remove ticks off your dogs if they even get any.

The lyme disease vacc. is always an issue...I believe the general consensus is usually not to get it--it can have some very serious side effects and is not all that effective either (I think only like 50%). It's more important to recognize that you could live in a Lyme prone area and ask for testing if your dog is ever sick and not bouncing right back--a lot of times people don't even think of asking about tick diseases and they catch it too late to be very helpful.

As for west nile, I have not heard of it in dogs, but I would imagine it's possible. Really, your best bet is to know when mosquitoes come out (mostly at dusk in the summer months) and just stay inside as much as possible at those times, or use bug spray and wear long pants/sleeves. Just keep the dogs inside for awhile so there are not so many mosquitoes out. Your dogs should be fine because they won't have to wait until it's cooled down to go for walks--northeast summers, no matter how obnoxiously hot I find them, will never come close to an Arizona summer!

ACampbell · 10-20-2007, 12:47 AM

I'm not really sure, I know the place is by water (Lake Ontario area) but not exactly sure where my house will be yet, guess I"ll have to wait until I'm there and the military assigns us housing...which will either be in Carthage NY or Watertown...I could contact the military veterinarian (if they have one there, I'm not sure, we do here) and see what they say...after reading someone elses post about their pet having lyme disease (or testing positive for being around it) I don't have a lot of faith in it...especially after reading about it further on the net, anything that has a 50% sucess rate...
Ticks gross me out though...a friend of mine a long time ago had a dog that went under their house and came back absolutely covered in them...they were huge, the size of those tiny grapes...all down in her ears and all over her body...so obviously it wasn't a 1 time deal of being under there...we spent hours getting them off of her, using a lighter and tweezers...so yeah, a preventative measure is a MUST for my dogs...I'm not dealing with picking ticks off like that ever again! Lol, I think it traumatized me, that was probably 10 years ago...

MegaMuttMom · 10-20-2007, 09:17 AM

My dog has short hair and he much prefers the freezing winter to any kind of heat. He plunges through snow like it's nothing. It gets over 70 and he slows down. Are you the one with the overweight dog? Maybe the cold will pep him up a bit....

Renoman · 10-20-2007, 03:14 PM

Just thought of something that might be helpful during your trip east.

Several years ago I drove with 3 GSDs from MA to AZ by myself. I found that once I got out of New England the rest areas along the highway were larger, had large grassy areas and some actually had fenced areas for dogs to run in - not super huge, but big enough to run around and stretch their legs. Even the areas without the fence had some great places to let the dogs walk around. I also found great places to stop and let them out along the highway when it didn't even seem like a highway - more of a back road.
You might think about getting some of the 15-20' cotton web long lines so you can give the kids a little room to roam in these places.

The reverse will be true for you - once you hit New England, it might get more difficult to find a place to stop for the dogs.

Bring lots of water from home or store bought bottled water with you.
Water tastes different from place to place. You wouldn't want them to stop drinking because it wasn't what they're used to.

ACampbell · 10-20-2007, 06:32 PM

Yeah I was thinking bottled water, thats what they are used to because the water out here isn't safe to drink (for anyone) IMHO...our local town has an alarming rate of small children with Leukemia and they think it's in the water, also 150 people were E-Coli poisoned with the local water...even though what comes in my house is from a well for the military reservation, I don't trust any of it. I wonder if you could do what you do for horses when switching water...what we used to do was to mix some apple cider vinegar in with their regular water a couple of weeks before we'd leave, and then when they'd get different water, put the same in it, they didn't know the difference. :-) you don't put a lot in, maybe half a cup for about 25-30 gallons for horses, so I'd imagine a teaspoon for a 2 gallon bucket would be sufficient.
The route we are taking goes north really soon, so I don't imagine a lot of outside time is going to happen, we are taking a rental, so making time is going to be important...with stops to get out and stretch, let my kids and dogs use the bathroom, get something to eat...etc.
About how often would stops be necessary, I'm thinking about every 2 hours, maybe less for my kids...

Renoman · 10-20-2007, 06:45 PM

The apple cider vinegar is a great idea. Just use the unfiltered, unpasturized kind. If you can find the Nature's Spectrum brand that's what was recommended by someone here on the forum.

Just curious, since one of the areas I'm trying to relocate to is AZ, what town do you live in that the water is so bad? You obviously live on or near a military base - where?

I think every 2 hours is too much, but that's up to you. What I did was start driving at about 4 am so I was through the major cities before morning rush hour traffic. The dogs would have been fed/watered/walked before I started.
I'd go until as close to noon as possible - and I'd stop for them. Then I'd stop again about 5pm. They'd eat/water/walk. Then around 8-9pm I'd stop for the last time letting them out before bed. I don't know how your dogs are, but my guys were great travelers. As soon as the engine started they'd fall asleep and wouldn't wake up until the engine stopped.

Kids are a different story - can't give you any help ...

martegale · 10-20-2007, 07:09 PM

We live in the north - North Idaho - and took our dogs to Arizona one winter. The change in temperature didn't bother them as much as the upset to their routine, staying in the vehicle for hours on end, and staying in motels along the way. And then, living in a new place.

So, if they're like my critters, along with your dogs' adjustment to cold temperatures, they might have a tough time adjusting emotionally.

If I were you, I'd get a bottle of Feel5ive to soothe their nerves and make it easier on all of you. (And if you get frazzled you can take some yourself!) It's made of Bach flower essences - no drugs to make them lethargic or cause bad side effects. I wish it had been available back when we made that move.

You can read all about it at www.feelbach.com. Just click on the "pets" link.

Best luck staying warm yourself - even though I've lived in this climate my whole life, I freeze all winter.

Marte

ACampbell · 10-20-2007, 08:00 PM

I live at Ft. Huachuca, the city with the bad water is Sierra Vista...my husband was #147 out of the 150 e-coli cases...we went out to dinner, about the next day I get a phone call at work saying "please come get me, I'm not feeling really good" so I come home and had to almost carry him (at 6'2 and 195 lbs, I'm only 5'3"...so I kind of dragged him) to the truck...they almost kept him over night at the hospital and put 4 bags of IV's through him...rough shape. He was on sick leave for 3 days and couldn't do his usual job for over a week since he works with food. And my boss fired me for leaving work to get him, LOL.
The water on post is supposed to be good, but I have a brita filter on my faucet and only use faucet water for cooking. There's a lot of minerals in the water, calcium, etc...I have to change the filter every 2 weeks or so.

I'm planning on stopping quite a bit because of my kids, one is 4 years old and the other is 1. Diaper changing for the little one and potty breaks for the older...he can't manage to sit still for an hour drive to my grandparents house and has to go so I'm guessing on stopping quite a bit. My dogs love riding in the car, but they probably won't like having to ride in kennels...Sparky and Smokey usually ride on my front seat for short trips around base, and Smokey has never been in a kennel so we have to work wtih that before hand. He might have to ride loose, finding a kennel big enough for him that will fit in an SUV might be interesting. I'd rather not have to be stuck driving a minivan for that far...I'm going to try to get like a Ford Expedition or GMC Denali...something comfortable but not as big as a minivan...our SportTrac just doesn't have the room for the dogs to go and neither does my Mustang, since my mom is driving with me up there.
I've never taken these guys on a longer trip than about 2 miles across base, so no idea how they'll react, my mom drove Smokey up here (about an hour and a half drive) in the front seat of her truck and he didn't throw up, so thats a plus!