Sunday, May 12, 2013

Caring for Pets with Special Needs While You Travel: The House Sitting Solution

Like humans, there are pets with special needs. If you decide to go on vacation, providing the proper care for these pets can be a big challenge. Pets may be either disabled because of sickness or an accident. They may suffer from ailments which require special medication and special diets. Or, they may be old and subject to the usual symptoms of old age.
Dogs may suffer from ailments like anemia, diabetes, respiratory and skin diseases, diseases of the urinary tract, liver, kidney, heart and many other organs. Cats may have epilepsy, asthma, endocrine diseases and leukemia among others. Pets like these will require special care and treatments which need to be addressed when you go away on vacation. The pet may need regular injections or oral medication, cleaning of wounds or bandage changes and regular visits to the vet.

If your pet is old, it may suffer from arthritis and need special diets to keep its weight down and aid digestion. A special exercise routine may also be necessary to help with their blood circulation and slow down their deterioration. More time is needed to care for an aging pet because it can't always do things on its own the way it used to.

Boarding a pet with special needs in the usual pet care center is not always an acceptable option. Establishments of this sort are equipped to take care of healthy pets and attend to the usual needs of feeding and grooming. When special procedures are needed for your pet, they are often not prepared to handle them from a facilities or manpower standpoint. In many cases, pet care centers are reluctant to admit pets with special needs for fear of contaminating the other pets in the establishment. If your veterinarian offers pet boarding services, this is probably a better alternative. However, not many veterinarians do.

One very practical and often inexpensive solution is to engage house sitters who have the know-how and experience to look after a pet while you are on vacation. The house sitter will live in your home, take care of it and look after your pet according to your instructions. The sitter can also work closely with your veterinarian to make sure that all the medications and treatments your pet needs are properly administered.

Pets are creatures of habit and those with special needs, even more so. One big advantage of using house sitters is the pet stays at home in familiar surroundings where it is comfortable and at ease. The house sitter can give your pet undivided attention and can check with you or your veterinarian in case of emergencies or whenever the need arises.

Finding a house sitter with the skill and the patience to look after a pet with special needs may not always be easy. However, there are house sitting websites that have members who are willing to take on the job for a reasonable fee, or even for free if they really love animals. In exchange all they may want is free lodging in a city they've always wanted to visit.

Having a pet with special needs shouldn't necessarily deprive you of your vacation. Finding the right house sitter for your pet will make sure it's properly looked after while you relax and enjoy your time away.

Contributed by Mel Hogan. Mel is an animal lover, blogger and travel writer who works from home. Someone else’s home that is - thanks to house sitting. He currently writes for the house sitting website Mindahome.com.au

12 Smart Readers SAID::

jheylo said...

I think this service is truly a very helpful one especially to those pet owners who wants to travel and they're not able to take their pets with them.

peachkins said...

This is why I'm not sure I can take care of a pet at this time because some pets do have special needs.

www.riablahgs.com said...

I always make sure that someone is at home whenever we travel to take care of my "bunso." It's not practical to take our dog with us every time we travel so we have to ensure that a relative is watching her while we are away. We don't hire pet sitters not take her to the kennel because we don't want her to feel she was abandoned or something.

I am glad that our Millie is still up and about and we're praying she'll stay healthy and fit for more years so we can enjoy her more.

Ria C

jheylo said...

animal sitter is helpful especially when you don't have a family member nearby to take care of your pets while you're out of town. Rest assured that the pets are well taken cared of instead of leaving them alone in your home.

Anonymous said...

That is why, We don't have pets since it takes a lot of work to own one. Plus, they're like kids need to be watched. However, it is nice to know about animal sitter, then you don't need to worry about them more or less.

melandria romero said...

that would be a good question of who will take care of them when the family is travelling.

Unknown said...

hiring a person who have knowledge is caring pet is a plus esp if the owner wants the best for their pet

Mei said...

We don't have dogs at the moment so I can't really relate. Hehe And we also haven't experienced traveling with pets. But I think it's a good idea to bring them and travel with you but you really need to give him special care :)

Mary Anne Vinzon said...

We do have one dog at home, and someone giving us one more dog. I didn't accept it because I don't think I can manage to have more pets at home.

riz said...

I can relate to this post. I get so worried everytime we go out for longer than a day. Who's gonna take care of our pets? Most of the times, I hire a local boy that attends to our 2 cats and three dogs. And, oh! we have pigs and chickens, too :)

Marms @ Home and Household said...

If you have a close friend or relative in the area, there's no need for pet sitter.

Peachy @ The Wandering Peach said...

We don't have pets yet so this isn't a problem for me yet.

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