Vacation time is right around the corner. If you have a pet, do you have a plan? Planning well in advance to find the right place for your pet is important. Can you bring your pet with you; are you looking for a kennel or boarding with friends and family? If you are flying to your vacation spot, do you bring your pet with you?
In the next few weeks, we will be talking about various options for what to do with your pet when you go on vacation. This week we will talk about Plan A: taking your pet with you by car.
Plan A: Bringing Your Pet with You - Hitting the Road
For your pet's sake, try to make the road trip as close to being at home as possible. Many things will be changing in your pet's environment, so control what you can, including food, bedding, exercise, treats, toys and medicines. The rest of the variables, try to plan for as much as possible.
Hotels/Motels/Camps
Wherever you plan on staying, find out the rules regarding pets in advance. For example, some hotels will not let you leave a pet alone in a room. In addition, investigate the area’s leash laws and the location of pet-friendly parks and trails. In case of an emergency, have the number and address of a local emergency veterinarian on hand and bring copies of your pet's medical and vaccination history.
When in nature, there may be animals around that your pet is not used to seeing. Be on the lookout for any local wild animals that your pet may attract or be attracted to. Both your pet and the wild animals need to be kept safe.
Friends and Family
If you are staying with friends or family, prepare them for your pet's visit. Make sure that they are aware of the extra guest and find out if they have any special concerns.
If they have little children, it might be important to slowly introduce the children to your pet. Managing these new relationships is your job. Both your pet and the children need to know the rules and guidelines.
These rules might include:
1. No feeding treats or human food to the pet.
2. No pulling ears or tails.
3. Do not wake the pet; wait for the pet to wake up before approaching.
4. Limit rough play.
Kids can be a lot of fun for a pet, but they can be tiring as well. If your pet is not used to children, he or she will need to have some child-free time. Providing a safe, quiet place where they can sleep undisturbed is ideal.
If your friends also have a pet, talk about how to ensure a successful new relationship well before you arrive.
Checklist of Travel Items
1. Their regular food
2. Bedding they are familiar with
3. Crate (train pre-vacation if your pet is not used to a crate)
4. Tweezers for ticks
5. Copies of medical records
6. Pet emergency service numbers for areas you are traveling to
7. Local veterinarian names and numbers
8. Toys
9. Treats
10. Remember to bring all medications, including preventive treatments for fleas and ticks. Take care not to get off schedule with this medication as doing so can leave your pet vulnerable to an unwelcome visit.
11. A short list of kennels or dog-friendly hotels, just in case things don't work out staying with friends or family.
Next week we will talk about taking your pet on a vacation via airplane. It is done more and more every day, so what are some best practices that will help you and your pet?
What do you do to make your pet's family vacation a success?