Quampapetet

Wow, I haven't been on here since October!!! I didn't think it had been that long!

My condolences to those who lost pets and service dogs!

Sorry that you guys had to deal with an emotional support pet owner believing one of those scam registry sites over the actual laws (which specifically state that emotional support animals are not service animals)! It is sad that those sites steal from people and angering that they tell them they can take their pets into public places. Passing your pet/emotional support pet off as a service dog is illegal in many states, sometimes with jail time as a result, and of course taking a pet/emotional support pet into a restaurant or business that serves/sells food is against the health codes laws (and the business will be fined for that when caught). While there are legit emotional support pets for people who have legit mental disabilities, there are so many fakers that emotional support pets may not be allowed on airplanes anymore soon. For both airplanes and housing, a doctor's letter is needed to verify the disability and the need for the dog for the disability. They're not otherwise allowed elsewhere under the laws.

As for hotels, service dogs are definitely allowed on the pool deck (not in the pool itself) and the restaurants/breakfast areas. Service dogs are never allowed to be left alone in a hotel room, as per the Department of Justice (the ADA folks). I would assume cruise cabins count as hotel rooms, too. I never tell a hotel I have a service dog when booking, which I normally do online anyway. Sometimes they don't even notice her at check-in, either.

Roz, so sorry to hear about your car accident! I hope you are healed or almost healed now. I highly recommend to all service dog handlers (and pet owners) to use a crash-tested car safety harness. I have two - one is bigger to fit on top of the mobility harness - that are Sleepypod Utility Sport harnesses. You can see their crash test videos on their Web site. They are coming out with a new, better version soon - and it even has a place to attach "Service Dog" patches and has saddlebags you can use with it. A car harness not only protects your dog, but you and other passengers (flying dogs can have enough force in a high-speed crash to decapitate a person), and it also prevents your dog from running away through a smashed window or when first responders open the doors. Our service dogs are not only extremely important to our lives as our medical equipment and just being dogs, but they are expensive, too, so need to be protected.

As for pet insurance for veterinary care, it isn't worth it. Instead, take the same amount of money you'd be paying each month for the insurance and put it in a special savings account. If your service dog ever needs expensive medical care, you have all the money in that account to use for it - and it will all be yours until you do.

I am sad to hear that the cruise lines still have not gotten the dog potty thing down yet! That's just ridiculous. It isn't a complicated thing. It is why I brought my own potty area on my last two cruises. I put artificial grass (made for backyards) in a suitcase and a ton of disposable potty pads in a duffel bag, plus large garbage bags to put under everything to protect the balcony floor. If I ever cruise again, I would see about getting a big silicone tray made in place of the garbage bags, with sides high enough to help keep the wind from blowing the pads and grass up. The silicone can be easily rolled up. They make ones sized for one potty pad, but of course that's not big enough for a medium or large dog.

Roz, just to clarify, what you described the PTSD dog do (check the rooms and such) are tasks. Psychiatric service dogs are task-trained just like all other types of service dogs. It is emotional support dogs that aren't trained, and of course those are not service dogs. Also, neurological diseases and disorders are physical and dogs for them are service dogs for physical disabilities just like guide and hearing dogs; they are not "neurological support dogs" or psychiatric service dogs for mental disabilities. Seizure alert dogs are one type of service dogs for neurological diseases.

I am glad those of you who went on cruises had mostly good reports (besides potty box issues and all)!

Someone mentioned the airport relief areas inside security that too many airports still don't have despite the law - it is aggravating that they haven't been done yet! One good thing I found, though, was the Delta Airlines app has maps of airports and they include the service dog relief areas on the maps! That's better than the airports' own Web sites. So, even if you don't fly Delta, I would recommend getting the app so you can use the maps to see exactly where the relief areas are. The post-security outdoor ones are on the maps, too.

As for going through TSA, it is best to go through separate from your dog, otherwise if the detector sounds, you have to be patted down (which can be pretty invasive, especially if you have chronic pain issues) even if it was the dog's collar setting it off. If you go through separately, if you don't set it off, you don't need to be searched, even if your dog set it off (your dog will probably enjoy the pat-down). I send my dog through first so I don't have to worry about any idiots behind me trying to distract her, but many others go through first and then call their dog to them. I don't remove her collar, leash, or mobility harness, but do remove her pack and put it through the x-ray. I wrap her leash around the harness handle so it doesn't drag on the floor.

As for what to bring on a cruise for your dog, that would be stuff like the paperwork, food, travel bowls (I use plastic ones that fold flat - got them on eBay), supplements, measuring cups, spatchula thing I use to mix and serve the dehydrated raw food, a small first aid kit (put a dog first aid app on your phone), dog tag with travel info. like ship and cabin number on it, a toy or two, toothbrush and toothpaste, some treats, dog water bottle (has a top like a hamster bottle that they lick to get the water out) for excursions, paper towels to clean feeding items and such, etc.

I don't recall what else was talked about, so I will end here. :-)

Hello from Guatemala. We are having a great cruise! Henri is the star of the ship and has a large fan club. After a day of discussion we were able to get the relief box moved to our balcony. What a difference having it there makes. So much easier - I couldn't get to the original location myself / it took three people. One to hold the door and my husband to get the wheelchair over the threshold which was a great obstacle. Have a safe trip Roz - drive carefully. Love the puppy in training stories!

Wow, that sounds like the original location was a horrible decision on the cruise line's part! They should have moved it immediately upon your complaint of not being able to use it! Ridiculous that it took that long for them to move it, but I am glad that they finally did. What line are you on?

Have fun!

How interesting......I don't mean to be argumentative......My USDA Certified Vet told me to come in at least 11 days prior to boarding the ship. That that is the actual time needed for any and all immunities to build-up!!!!! And, he gives me a letter stating this "in writing" in case any port questions it! Now, I'm no Vet but I tend to trust and believe whatever my Vet says.

I don't know countries you're going to, so can't look them up for you, but you can look up their requirements and see. Most say no sooner than 30 days. There's a reason why you can't do a rabies titer until 30 days after the vaccine has been given. Of course, we all know these boosters are stupid and are hurting our dogs, but rabies is required by law, so we don't have a choice but to give it every three years and to follow the import requirements for the different countries (some require rabies to be given no later than one year). Here's hoping the Rabies Challenge Study ends up changing the laws, especially in those one-year countries! Too many vets still push over-vaccinating the other vaccines, though.

Hi, everyone! I hope you're doing well and enjoying all those cruises! Maybe one day I will go on another, but who knows.

Okay, that cruise ship potty that was cardboard with turf on top is utterly ridiculous!!! Who in their right mind thought that would work?! Glad you finally got it resolved, but it should not have happened in the first place.

Roz, no monkeys, huh? You need to search YouTube for videos of the drunk monkeys on one of the Caribbean islands - hysterical stuff! I so wanted to go to the bar they hung out at, but unfortunately it closed down before that trip, so I never got to buy a drink for a monkey and see him fall off the table drunk! :p

Well, it was nice to have a six-month break from one of my disabilities being chronic (only happened two to four days per month during that time), but now it is back to chronic. Fun times. :( I really hope I am not coming down with the bug a family member is trying to get over, too. Oh well, whatcha gonna do?

My girl is doing well. Not really anything new to report, so I guess that's good news! :)

Hawaii is a perfect example. They want a Rabies Titer done within a few days of entering Hawaii [by plane], they know it can't be done within that time, if arriving by ship. Which is why having as much as you can from your Vet on paper, informing them of your dogs good health, is so important.

This is not true, especially since it takes weeks, sometimes a month when the testing facility is busy, to get back the results of a rabies titer test. Also, they used to require a six-month wait between the blood draw for the test and the dog entering Hawaii (still required for pets). Here are the current requirements for entering Hawaii with a service dog (note that this information does not apply to pets, which have different requirements):

http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/animal-quarantine-information-page/guide-service-dogs-entering-hawaii/

You mention the dog can not be a Therapy Dog or Dog in Training. Who determines this? I know this can be a hot topic so please understand my interest is to learn more. I'm aware of the ADA requirements and the two questions that can be asked. I would think this would make it difficult for a cruise ship to know if it's a Service Dog, Therapy Dog or Dog in Training.

The requirements of the ADA are what determines whether or not a dog is a service dog. The cruise lines can ask the two questions, just like other businesses. The cruise lines can also observe the dog's behavior upon arrival and during the cruise, as they can the passengers' behavior. A service dog has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of the individual with the disability and those tasks/work must directly relate to the disability. They must also be housebroken and behave in public. The person must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as seeing, walking, hearing, caring for self, etc.

On our recent TA cruise there were 5 dogs. I guess I didn't word my query correctly when I said expectations. What I mean was expectations/guidelines from the ship. For example - leaving a dog alone in the cabin, allowing a dog to sit on furniture in public lounges....like the Schooner Bar......and being able to carry a dog under your arm while getting food in the Windjammer. I saw the owner(s) of these dogs many times without their dog(s) in public places onboard. One dog was running loose in the Centrum and obviously got away from his/her owner.

The ADA does not allow service dogs to be left alone in hotel rooms (the dogs must always be under the handler's control), so the same would go for cruise cabins. The cruise lines generally have rules against it, too. Service dogs are not supposed to be sitting on furniture in public places and the ADA states businesses do not have to allow it as an accommodation. Service dogs are allowed to be carried, but should not be carried next to the buffet. Service dogs should walk on the floor next to the buffets and other serving and dining areas, though this is not a law. Service dogs must be leashed unless the person's disability prevents them from using a leash or while the dog is performing a task that it needs to be off-leash for, such as a distance retrieve or getting help when their person is having a seizure.

Horton will be seeing him for; Rabies/DHLPP update 3 weeks before we leave.

Most countries don't allow dogs in if the rabies was done sooner than 30 days before entering, so the immunity has built up, so you would need to go get the vaccine done four to five weeks before you leave.

No rainforest, no jungles, no deep sea diving, no bus/train tours and no zip-lining or para sailing for Horton!

You are so mean! Horton told me he wants to go on the zip-line, so you better strap him in and let him goooooooo! :p

 

I love Horton to the moon and back........that said, there will NEVER, EVER be another dog like Brenda Elizabeth.......NEVER!

And there will never be another Horton; each dog is their own. :)

You said, "I have a SD In-Training." If this were NOT a dog friendly hotel they would NOT have to allow your dog-in-training, since dogs-in-training do NOT have the same rights that fully-trained SD's have. Unless, there has been a special arrangement made between the SD training org. and the folks with their pups in training.

Service dog in training laws vary from state to state, but if the state the hotel is in gives access to trainers with service dogs in training, the hotel would have to accept her with her dog and not charge a pet fee.

Remember, you NEVER have to "warn" or otherwise let the hotel know that you're bringing your SD. I let the airlines know because usually I'm requesting bulk-head seating for mine and my dogs comfort!

Exactly! I never tell a US hotel ahead of time, but do for airlines because I need the bulkhead. The exception is that currently, those who have psychiatric service dogs must call the airlines at least 48 hours before their flight to notify them about the dog (they also need a doctor letter less than a year old). The DOT will soon be changing the regulations, likely doing away with emotional support animals (which are pets, not trained service animals) and perhaps changing more like requiring doctor letters for all types of service dogs - we shall see!

Check to see if your cruise line has an app that allows passengers to communicate with each other onboard. I know I saw at least one, but I don't recall which line it was.

Well, now that I have read through the almost thirty pages of posts made since I was last here in May.... :o

DKD, sorry to hear about the cancer, but I urge you to see a veterinary oncologist about it. Going to your regular vet is like you going to your GP (General Practitioner) for something like cancer.

Rangely, same goes for you, and I can recommend a place in your area (New England Veterinary Oncology Group, NEVOG, which has multiple locations).

Someone asked about St. Maarten. I was with a group, so we did our own private tours for the group in each port, but I didn't have any access issues, including to a delicious French bakery and large souvenir shop (I honestly can't remember where else we went on that island, maybe a beach?). I don't think I saw any stray dogs there.

Jaeger's handler, congratulations on graduating from team training!

Oh, and when flying with a service dog, feeding depends on the time of the flight. For morning flights, I don't feed breakfast until we reach the destination. For afternoon and evening flights (unless they're short), I feed breakfast early in the morning (around 5a) so they have the chance to potty it out before we leave. I have never done an overnight flight with a service dog, so flying has never interfered with dinner. Water is taken away a couple hours before leaving. HOWEVER, now that airports are required to have relief areas in the secure area, there's really no need anymore to withhold food or water. You may want to contact your airports in advance about where the relief areas are.

We're doing okay here. It is hard to believe that it has already been eleven months since I brought my girl home from the trainer! (And a year since my for girl passed.) Crazy how time flies sometimes. She is doing great, her alerting is on point, and she's excellent at her other tasks.

Maybe next time won't be as long checking in on you guys!

Is anyone else participating this year in the free eye exam for service dogs? This is a wonderful program sponsored by AVCO, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. I think registration is closed now for 2016, but highly recommend it for next year.

 

Raylene had hers this morning - luckily the specialist vet is just a few miles from home, because we had torrential rain. It was so bad, she refused to jump out of the back seat - that was a first! - so I had to drag her out and towel her off inside.

 

We go every year because Raylene had a small, breed-typical cataract in one eye which led to her career change from Guide Dogs for the Blind to Dogs for the Deaf. Now she has them in both eyes, but after dilating and thoroughly examining, the vet today says, as they always do, that she doesn't think they'll ever give her any trouble but does recommend the annual check-up.

I signed up, but kept forgetting to call for an appointment! I don't know if they'll still have any available, but I will call if I ever remember to do so during business hours! I participated twice with my previous service dog, including the first year they did it.

Eric, first you need to find a Vet who can fill out the appropriate forms for you. USDA Certified. He will fill out the Aphis 7001 form, do the appropriate blood draw and will let you know about entering Hawaii. You will NOT have to quarantine your dog in Mexico or Hawaii. Most of these laws were meant for people who are flying in with their dogs and the necessary blood titer testing for Rabies is also expected within, I believe 48 hours, which is impossible to do when your coming in via cruise ship.

Hawaii requires a six-month wait before entering after the blood draw for the titer test, which must be sent to a particular lab and it takes a few weeks to get the results back. There are other requirements, such as presenting either certification from an ADI-member program or a doctor's letter attesting to the disability, as well. You must contact Hawaii in advance. If flying, you can only fly into a certain airport to enter Hawaii before you can fly to the other islands. I am sure they make an exception to that rule for cruise ships because the handler can't control the itinerary - I believe I asked them years ago, but don't remember what the answer was.

For those whose dogs have had the leptospirosis vaccine - is it one shot a year, or is it a series of shots?

 

Does anyone given their dog yak chews?

 

Dianne

The first year, it is a series of two shots, but after that, if you need to continue giving it, it is just one.

Do you mean the Himalayan Chews, which are cheese made of yak milk? My girl got one for Easter and it lasted a couple weeks. It isn't something I would buy often for the price it is at, plus I don't recall if it is fattening or not. My previous girl tried the Puffs that puff like popcorn in the microwave (I burned the first bag because you can't really hear them pop over the sound of the microwave) and liked those. I also have the ground-up food topper which I very occasionally use for some variety (my typical variety makers for her food are Canine Caviar's Dehydrated Veggie Mix and TruDog's Beef Boost ground-up dehydrated beef parts, plus I change the food varieties each bag for both the dehydrated raw and kibble).

I don't think my next dog will be a Lab or a Golden. I'll be too old to keep up with all the dang shedding and my allergies are getting worse. I sneeze my head off before I go to bed at night and I can't have anyone over for dinner unless they want dog hair with their coffee! I've gone through two vacuums since I've had a Service Dog....I love them but I'm so done with all the hair and keeping the asthma doctor in business!!!!

Have you tried using an air purifier in your home to help with the allergens? Make sure it is one made for allergens. You might want to look into a Roomba robotic vacuum, too. Of course, frequent grooming will help, too, especially if you have a neighbor who can do it for you outside (doing it yourself obviously isn't a good idea, but if you must, wear a grooming apron and gloves, and maybe do it before you get yourself in the shower).

So, does this mean a Poodle is in your future?

Boo, is not ADI Certified and you actually got her on a Holland America ship? I'm surprised. She must be very well behaved!

Certification is not required in the US. ADI only accepts non-profit organizations to become members of their organization, so any for-profit programs and private trainers cannot join, and neither can owner-trainers, of course. If a cruise ship leaving from a US port tried to require certification, they would be in violation of the law.

I've had those thoughts but booked anyway. :eek: I haven't flown yet with the dog anywhere, much less transcontinental. May have to try a shorter trip to get the hang of it.

 

The good news is that flights from Tampa to Seattle are about evenly divided into two legs, stopping in Chicago for about three hours westbound, and the same in Phoenix eastbound. So in theory, the dog would have two flights with a rest & potty stop halfway there.

 

The bad news is it would be a long day with no doggie breakfast. From what I've read, you don't feed the dog if you are flying in the morning? Just ice chips during the flights.

Since US airports are required to have service dog relief stations within the secure area (minimum one per terminal) starting this coming August, we will now be able to feed our service dogs before flights with domestic layovers! Having these relief areas is going to be great! You would definitely not want to fly through Chicago and use the relief area outside of the secure area right now with the three-hour-long lines to get through security!

I sure hope all the airports abide by the law in time! I would definitely contact the airport your layover is in to inquire about the relief area within the secure area when flying during the upcoming year. Some airports, like JFK, have already opened theirs. Note that many/most will be indoors, so you will need to be sure your dog will potty on command indoors on fake grass.

I don't know how much it is out there but our vet said 55.00 a pill. Lasts for 3 months. And she said the price was going up soon. Also it doesn't work until the tick bites them, doesn't repel. Being so close to Connecticut, which is tick heaven, we are sticking with the liquid stuff. I will probably switch him over at some point, but right now I have a bunch of tubes left that we got free from iaadp.

Try the Seresto flea/tick collar. It is about $45 or less from Chewy.com (some places sell it for MUCH more) and lasts eight months. I have been using it for years without any ticks or fleas. My vet was happy we use it, too, and said the ticks actually never went away this winter, so even a month ago they were already bad. (I use the collar year-round. I just ordered another one with the food order I made yesterday because it is due for replacement on June 1st, which means it will already have been eight months since my girl came home! Wow!!) The only thing I don't like about it is it can be difficult to remove temporarily if you take your dog to the groomer (mine requires it to be removed for the bath and haircut) or if your dog swims more than twice a month.

The spot-on liquids don't work well on my breed's hair. They're probably designed for dogs with fur.

I'm with Roz. If my vet told me he didn't recommend heartworm preventative, I would find another vet. Just my humble opinion.

Seriously! I would also report a vet like that to the licensing board!

Are heartworm, flea, and tick treatments required for the 7001? In ten years, we've had zero problems with fleas and only a handful of tick problems from a filthy rental property a block over, and my vet doesn't recommend heartworm treatments for my service dog.

I have never heard of a vet who doesn't recommend heartworm preventive! :eek: Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes and can kill dogs; using a monthly preventive is very important! You must do a blood test before beginning preventive (giving it to a dog who has heartworm can kill the dog as the dead heartworms travel through the heart) and annually if you give preventive year-round (which is recommended even in wintry climates because mosquitoes are out longer/earlier than they previously thought, plus if you go to warm places in the winter, you want your dog protected).

Heartworm is treated with the same meds as the preventives, but the dog must be kept crated for the months of treatment because any movement can cause death - it is a very hard treatment and not all dogs make it. Prevention is key and so easy to do, just a beef-flavored "treat" for your dog every thirty days.

(And, no, humans cannot get heartworm.)

I think all of us Service Dog partners do so much research we end up knowing much more about the paperwork - and the way it plays out on the ground in the real world - than anybody else does, including (especially?) the Service Centers that we need for endorsements.

Yes, we definitely do end up knowing more than most vets do about the import requirements!

Oh no not the cone of shame!! 😮

Turned out she didn't need it; the vet said to just use a T-shirt that covered the two little incisions in the belly and that worked perfectly! The stitches were absorbable, so we didn't have to go get them removed, either.

La Bombonera officially reopens on Friday, May 13. Hours: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Fantastic! I was in San Juan back in September for a couple days and the other breakfast restaurant people talk about was not very good at all. I definitely missed La Bombonera!

For those of you who need a car safety harness for your service dogs (or pets), I highly recommend the crash-tested Sleepypod Utility Sport harness. It is easy to use - just two buckles and thread the seatbelt through it before clicking it in. It is what I use.

Well, we were at the vet on Wednesday for the pre-surgical blood work and check-up, then my service dog will be spayed next week (laparoscopic, ovaries only) now that she's old enough to be fully grown so it won't harm her later in life like spaying/neutering too early can. I need to find that soft e-collar (cone of shame) I saved from my previous service dog in case the vet gives a plastic one (I didn't think to ask) - don't want her bumping into things with the plastic one! I am not looking forward to the surgery/her being gone all day, of course, but I am looking forward to not having to deal with another heat and false pregnancy!

I hope everyone had a good April Fool's Day and that you weren't fooled too badly! One online pet store I get e-mails from had a joke product: the world's first coloring book for dogs to color! That was a good one.

Saw our USDA certified vet yesterday for the health exam again...Just took paperwork to UPS for overnight to Florida's regional USDA Service Center in Gainesville to be endorsed and returned for our cruise next week.

 

Our vet and her staff are proving to be so much more helpful than the USDA one in NC. They really get into it, make phone calls, and figure out what to put on the form for the countries involved, and solve things with common sense.

 

And she's less than ten minutes away from our house! Couldn't be happier.

Sounds like you found a great vet! I have always had to do my own research, e-mails, and calls in the past, like most of us here. Sure would be helpful to have the vet's office do it instead, especially since they probably have more contacts in the field!