TIGER TIPS

How to Survive the Holidays

Traveling With Pets
The following are tips for traveling with pets from the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine:

• Puppies and kittens younger than eight weeks old and pets with severe or contagious illnesses should definitely not travel.
  
• Use a crate big enough for a pet to stand up and turn around, that is ventilated and has a leak-proof bottom. Get a pet accustomed to the crate in advance by feeding treats and taking the pet for short car trips in the crate.
  
• When traveling with pets in the car, stop every two hours for a brief walk and drink.
  
• Do not feed a pet six to 12 hours before travel.
  
• Use tranquilizers only for pets that are repeatedly very nervous, but otherwise in excellent heath.
  
• Call hotels and motels in advance to check their pet policy.
  
• Take photos along in case a pet escapes and animal control officers must be notified.

Consult a veterinarian for specific advice for maintaining your pet's health. Additional medical advice and services are available at the University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Call 573-882-7821 for an appointment or visit the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Web site.

Winterizing Your Pets
The following are tips for taking care of pets in the winter, from the MU College of Veterinary Medicine:

• Outdoor dogs need more food in the winter to maintain normal body temperature.
  
• Prevent drinking water from freezing for outdoor dogs by keeping it in a heated enclosure or purchasing a water bowl heater.
  
• Check outdoor shelters for a water-resistant door flap and soft, clean bedding that pets can't shred or drag out of the house.
  
• If a dog's winter hair coat seems dry, combat the problem by bathing them less frequently and using a bath oil spray or humectant spray to retain moisture and control drying and flaking.
  
• Even when it is cold outside, regular exercise like outdoor walks are essential for any indoor dog's health. Short-haired dogs may need a dog coat or jacket in extremely cold weather.
  
• Make sure dog's feet are free of snow, ice and salt to prevent skin irritation.

'Tis the Season for Cold and Flu
The viruses and bacteria that cause the common cold are around all year. People are more likely to be exposed in the winter and around the holidays because they spend more time indoors and within close contact with others. Antibiotics will not help someone with the common cold or the flu. MU Health Professions Extension experts offer the following prevention tips:

• Eat right, exercise and manage stress.
  
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when sick to protect others.
  
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
  
• Wash hands often to get rid of germs.
  
• Follow the advice of health care providers that has been individualized for your situation.

Remember, the common cold can make a person feel miserable, but serious complications are not common in healthy adults. Pneumonia is a serious complication of the flu. Those most vulnerable to catching pneumonia are children under the age of four, older adults and persons with conditions that compromise their immune system, such as AIDS, diabetes and asthma.

Keeping Holidays Merry for Children of Divorced Parents
The holidays can be a stressful and complicated time for children of divorced parents. They might feel they aren't able to please everyone because they can't be in two places at once. If they spend a major holiday with one parent, they worry that the other parent will feel sad or abandoned. Marilyn Coleman, professor of human development and family studies at MU and an expert on divorce and stepfamilies, has a solution to help make this time of year merrier for these children.

She recommends having parents create a separate holiday that can be theirs and theirs alone, in addition to Christmas or Hannukah, so that children won't feel guilty for spending time with one parent but not the other. Coleman says this can be a less popular holiday such as Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day or an entirely new one.

“Both parents want the children for the entire holiday and so the children feel that no matter what they do they are disappointing the people who matter most to them,” Coleman said. “These children are in a no-win situation unless their parents agree, at least temporarily, to put aside differences and make a mutual effort not to manipulate the kids.”

Coleman has written several publications about her research on how stepfamilies can become effective, satisfying units for children and adults. Her on-going research focuses on women's experiences in remarriage and stepfamilies. In 1999, she published data on family responsibilities in the book, Changing Families, Changing Responsibilities: Family Obligations Following Divorce and Remarriage.

Potatoes Boiling Over? They May Not Be Alone
MU Professor Offers Tips to Take the Stress Out of the Season

While many of us know a superwoman who seems effortlessly to juggle holiday obligations, this may only be a façade, according to Laurie Mintz, associate professor of educational and counseling psychology. The “happy faces” that many wear to hide their stress during the holidays often increase holiday stress for others, by perpetuating the myth that the holidays are a stress-free time. Mintz offers several tips to help women strike a healthy balance during the holidays:

• Determine what the expectations are for the holidays and whether they should be lowered. “Do you have to create a delicious meal and serve it with a warm glow of holiday cheer?” Mintz asked. “Or at the other extreme, would you be satisfied if no one gets food poisoning, and you are able to finish the meal without a fight?”
  
• Anticipate what aspects will cause stress and prepare mentally. If possible, adjust plans to avoid this stress. For example, purchase a pie at a local bakery to save cooking time.
  
• Share negative feelings with others. Friends and family will approach their own holidays more realistically if they know that everyone is experiencing many of the same difficulties they face.
  
• Remember to stick with the stress management routine that works for you the rest of the year.
  
• Expect stress. Expecting the holidays to be blissful can create disappointments.

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Last Update: September 3, 2008