Traveling With or Without Your Pet

Traveling With or Without Your Pet

It’s officially travel season and whether you’re planning a beach trip or hopping on a plane and traveling further, there’s always the question of what to do with your pets. Preparing to travel with (or without) your pet is a lot like planning an evacuation for a hurricane. Both scenarios should be taken seriously and planned for well in advance.

Before traveling, ensure that your pet is microchipped and is also wearing visible identification. If you’re traveling by car, ensure that you have all the supplies you’ll need like a well-ventilated crate, food, bowls, enough water, clean-up bags and medications.

• Give your dog some good exercise before loading up for a long drive. This will help keep his stress down.
• It’s also a good idea to bring some favorite toys to help keep your pet’s stress level down.
• If you’re using a crate, ensure that it is properly secured and won’t slide around. If you’re not planning to use a crate make sure your pet is adequately secured.
• Avoid feeding your pet in a moving vehicle. Feed your pet a few hours before you plan to depart. It’s a good idea to bring extra cleaning supplies just in case your pet gets motion sick.
• Don’t leave your pet alone in a parked vehicle! During the summer months, cars heat up extremely quickly.

If you’re planning to travel by plane, make sure to speak with the airline about their specific requirements. Small animals can often be carried onboard with you, but there are usually specific size requirements for their carrier. Keep in mind that the airline will charge extra for taking a pet.

• Larger animals will be need to be checked. Again, make sure to check with the airline regarding specific requirements for crates.
• We would recommend visiting your vet before any extended air travel, and keep in mind that traveling to foreign countries or Hawaii with your pet may require extensive documentation.

Make sure your hotel or other accommodation is pet friendly. Keep in mind many hotels will charge extra for pets. Most travel sites allow you to search specifically for pet-friendly accommodations.

If you decide not to travel with your pet and need to board him or her, make sure to plan in advance. Many boarding facilities get filled up during popular travel times! Most boarding facilities require boarded animals to be spayed/neutered. I

f you’re travel plans involve staying with friends or family with other dogs, do some research on dog to dog introductions to make sure it’s a smooth transition for your dog and theirs.