WASHINGTON 鈥� 鈥楾is the season for beach vacations, camping trips and outdoor adventures, galore.
During the summer travel season, many pet owners choose to take their four-legged family members with them on vacation. After all, man鈥檚 best friend also makes an excellent travel companion. But before you hit the road or take to the skies, veterinarian Dr. Katy Nelson has some tips to make your trip go safely and run smoothly.
Road Trips with Rover
Planning a road trip with your pet? You鈥檒l need to plan ahead, Nelson says. For instance, if your pet gets the least bit car sick just driving around the block, consider talking to your vet about medicines that battle car sickness without sedating your dog or cat. Nelson says there are some great drugs that will calm pets down in the car, without completely knocking them out.
Throw a few extra water bottles in the cooler to quench your pet鈥檚 thirst on the journey. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to over-hydrate them, but you definitely don鈥檛 want them dehydrated,鈥� Nelson says.
Keep in mind that you鈥檒l also need to stop a few times so that your dog can go to the bathroom. Nelson says taking a break every few hours is just fine 鈥� plus, it will give you the chance to stretch your legs. Traveling with a cat? Nelson says there are some great travel litter boxes on the market.
And most importantly, buckle up 鈥� yes, that goes for your pet too.
鈥淚t鈥檚 worse than texting, if you鈥檝e got this little dog licking your face while you鈥檙e trying to drive down the road,鈥� Nelson says.
Plus, having an unrestrained pet in the car can be dangerous in the instance of an accident. Nelson says statistics show that a 60-pound dog can turn into a 1,500-pound projectile if it鈥檚 loose in the car at the time of an accident.
鈥淪o you want to make sure you keep everyone in the car safe by buckling your pet into their seat belt.鈥�
Flying with Fido
Nelson doesn鈥檛 recommend flying with a pet unless the animal can fit under the seat, and therefore, ride in the cabin with its owner.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e moving somewhere, then that鈥檚 fine, but if you鈥檙e going to take your 60-pound dog on a trip with you, remember that cargo holds underneath planes are not designed to transport live animals,鈥� Nelson says.
鈥淭hey are not climate controlled. It can get very hot and very cold in there, and also, it鈥檚 very scary.鈥�
And don鈥檛 forget to have your pet microchipped and to update the information with your correct address and phone number before heading away from home, Nelson says.
