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Start your trip with a trip to your veterinarian
Traveling with your pet will be easier and more enjoyable if you start with a visit to your veterinarian for a physical exam about one to two weeks in advance of your trip to be sure your pet is healthy enough to withstand the stress of a trip. Let your vet know where you are going, how long you'll be gone, whether you're traveling by car or by plane; or if you're traveling out of the country. Many countries have quarantine laws and will need special shots. Your veterinarian may be able to advise you about insect and disease problems in the area where you're going. He may be able to provide a reference to a practitioner or emergency clinic in the area.
Make sure that all shots are current for the area where you live and for all areas that you'll be traveling through. Consider getting a vaccination for Bordetella (Kennel cough). Some certificates will need to be issued within 10 days of your trip. You will be required to have these if your pet is traveling by air or need to board or hospitalize them for some reason. If you have your records along, there won't be any need to repeat the vaccinations. Be sure that your pet's flea and tick treatment is up to date. Be sure that its heartworm prevention is current. He/she may be walking on lawns and in areas that have fleas and ticks left by some other animal. Treatments to prevent ticks are especially appropriate if your pet is going camping or hiking with you. Lyme disease is serious. Be sure your pet doesn't have any ear infections. Ask your vet for a health certificate.
Consider having your pet microchipped. Some pets become separated from their families while traveling and the microchip will help the humane society, kennels and animal shelters that recover them to identify them.
A tattoo can be put on the inside of a hind leg to provide permanent identification; but be aware that most shelters and individuals who find the animal won't know to look there. For more information about tattoos, visit www.akc.org or www.tattoo-a-pet.com
Make sure that your pet has a secure, well-fitting collar - with attached rabies tags, your address and phone # - that they wear at all times. You can use a permanent felt tip marker to write your name, address and phone number on a plain leather or nylon collar. Some pet stores sell id tags with the name and # on them. Never leave choke, pinch or training collars on your pet unless you're right there with them. Safety collars that attach with elastic or Velcro™ are recommended for cats.
All states and localities do not have the same pet control laws. Many localities ban certain breeds and species. It is your responsibility to be fully informed about local and state laws where you will be. Pack all of your pet's medications and health documents in one convenient place. If you pack a separate 'suitcase' for your pet, place those documents in it with their medication, snacks and favorite toys.
Make a little health check of your pet each day while traveling. Watch for unusual limping, scratching or body chewing, loss of appetite or diarrhea. Check their eyes and nose for unusual discharges. Make note of whether they're drinking extra water. If necessary, visit a local veterinarian for a quick check.
Make an Honest Assessment of your pet's ability to travel
If you're planning to travel by bus or train, only seeing-eye dogs in the company of a blind person are allowed. You will need to notify the airline, bus or train that you are traveling with a seeing-eye dog.
It doesn't matter where you got your pet or whether it's a purebred or an All-American breed. Some animals enjoy travel and some don't. Just as humans have little idiosyncrasies, animals do too. If your pet is a 'nervous Nelly' or is really shy, maybe it will do better at a boarding kennel or with a pet sitter.
Other considerations are its' health. Is it too young to have built up its' immunity or too old to have resistance to disease? Is it suffering with health problems, physical disabilities or is she pregnant? (You really don't want the stress to precipitate premature labor!) Has she just had surgery - or puppies? Your veterinarian can advise you as to whether it's well enough to travel.
If you're planning on camping or hiking, is your pet physically fit for the exertion? You need to start an exercise program months before the trip; not the week before. Take them for daily walks of a mile or so - up and down hills. If you're active enough to consider a hiking trip, you know that physical conditioning doesn't happen overnight. If your dog is overweight or under a year of age, consult with your vet to be sure that the strenuous hiking won't damage growing bones and muscles.
If this is your pet's first trip, you may want to try an "overnighter" first. Is it used to riding in the car for more than just a trip to the vet's? If not, start with short trips and gradually make them longer. Does it get car-sick? Do you take it for walks where it's exposed to people it doesn't know. Is your pet going to be spending long hours setting in a kennel in the back of your car - or in a hotel room?
Some pets really don't like traveling. Some love it. Some love the adventure, but most pets have an instinctive fear of new places. Very few tourist attractions and parks welcome the family pet. Some provide boarding (at a fee) most do not. Unfortunately, some pet owners that travel with their pets have not been good about cleaning up after them and have left a very bad impression that all pet owners must deal with.
Although formal obedience training is not necessary, a well-mannered traveling pet will make you feel soo proud when he enters an elevator, walks to the rear, turns around and sits without a fuss. Your pet should sit, down and stay on command. She should definitely come when called, (This command is an absolute minimum. It can save your pet's life!), get in and out of the car without a mad scramble to be first and ride without fussing. He should walk on a leash without pulling, sit to be petted and not snatch food from people.
If you have trouble with your dog barking too much at home, don't expect it to be any better in a campground or motel. Barking dogs are not welcome at most places. If necessary, try one of the no-bark collars that are now available at pet supply stores and catalogs.. Most use some form of citronella to give a brief spritz to distract the dog when it barks. It may take your pet a night or two to get used to the extraneous noise outside your room, but most settle in after that. (One of our little "traveling Queens" always seems to know exactly which door is to our room after our first trip in and out! She goes up to it, sits and waits for us to unlock and open it.)
Leaving them Behind!
If you're concerned about your pet traveling well, perhaps an air-conditioned boarding kennel, a pet setter, a family member or friend would be a better choice. If you take a pet that isn't a good traveler and that is anxious and miserable about being there, it won't be long before you feel miserable too.
If you decide to board your pet or hire a sitter, inspect the kennel or interview the sitters. If your pet is elderly and anxious about new surroundings, perhaps a sitter will be better. Your veterinarian or local shelter can help you find a kennel.
If a relative or friend will be taking care of your pet, perhaps they won't mind taking your pet home with them. Some animals get lonely if left for several days. If this is the plan, however, be aware that their pets may not look forward to your pet's intrusion into their home.
Do not leave your pet with a kennel, setter, friend or relative without making sure that it is wearing a proper collar with identification tags.
Ok. You've decided that Sparky is a good candidate for travel. Now what? Now you decide what the living accommodations will be. Will you stay at a motel, with friends, or will you be camping?
Motels and Campgrounds - Page 2
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