If you are planning a vacation with your pet over the summer then you’ll want to make sure that they stay safe. You’ll also want to make sure that they are happy along the way and that you provide for their every need. This is hard when you have never travelled with your pet before, so it helps to do your research before you load them into the car.
Before You Load Up
Before you load up the car; you need to make sure that they have all the right injections and you also need to make sure that they have a collar and an identification tag as well. The main reason for this is that your pet could be exposed to a huge range of disease on their travels and the last thing you need is to have a sick pet on your hands. By making sure that they have a tag; you can increase your chances of finding them if they happen to run off or escape and this is crucial to their own safety. If you are going abroad then dog skin cancer is more common than you’d like to think as well, so if you are travelling somewhere really hot then look into this to see if you can give your dog the protection it needs.
Training your Pet
The best way for you to help your pet to deal with a car ride is to train them in advance. Dogs don’t really tend to have a problem with cars, but cats do. They tend to be creatures of habit, so when you are preparing for your holiday; you need to make sure that they are adjusted over time so that you don’t shock or scare them. You should never leave your pet in a car unattended either, so it is worth planning out your journey so you don’t have to do this. If anything should occur you could stop at a dog friendly pub.
Air Travel
Air carriers will usually require you to have a pet crate that doesn’t collapse. Some pets can get really stressed out when travelling and sometimes sedation may be an option. If you want to try and soothe them then consider putting their favourite toy in there with them as well. Blankets are also great and it can really help them to feel more at ease. Flying is way faster than driving but it is more stressful, so consider what your dog is able to handle when planning your trip.
Keeping Hydrated
A lot of people overlook this, but you do need to make sure that you have enough food to last for the entire duration of your trip. It’s important that you have plenty of water and that you have some snacks for your pet as well. There are a huge range of products available for you to choose from if you want to keep it convenient- but if you are giving your pet dry food then it’s important that they have lots of water available because if they don’t then this can lead them to experience a ton of problems later down the road. This is especially the case if it’s nice weather, so keep that in mind and plan lots of regular stops.
