Planning a road trip with your pet this summer? A little preparation can make the difference between a stressful journey and a fun adventure for both you and your furry companion.
To What Extent Can You Travel With Pets
The first question to ask is to what extent can you travel with pets. This is a very integral question to answer. This blog revolves around trips by car, bus, trains or ferry. The main reason is that international travel with pets is fairly complicated, necessitating countless paperwork, with rules and regulations to follow as animals are considered a safety hazard. Typically pet owners do not bring their pets with them for international travel as planes can be very stressful and traumatic for pets. So for international travel, it is best to find a pet sitter or a close friend/relative willing to take care of them.
Now that we have clarified the purpose of this blog, how do pet owners prepare for a road trip with their furry companions?
Is Your Pet Ready for a Road Trip?
We need to consider if your pet is mentally ready and able to do a trip in the first place. Not all pets are comfortable with travelling. Pet owners must consider the age, the temperament and the previous travel experience of your pets. It is possible that your pets are unable to travel because they may struggle with:
- Anxiety
- Motion sickness
- Long confinement periods
Going on a trip without checking if your pet is mentally ready can make the trip miserable for both pet and owner. But pets can also struggle with health conditions meaning, pet owners need to factor in if their pet is physically ready to travel. Pet owners should take their companions to veterinarians prior to a trip to check if your pets are healthy enough to travel; vaccines in check, routine health check up. Pet owners can also ask about their pet’s anxiety, motion sickness, to get advice or even medicine to help.
This is the first step before taking the trip.
So what are the key necessities pet owners planning an adventure should bring for their pets?
Essential Supplies to Pack
There are many essential items for pet parents to pack for their pets. The checklist ranges from the obvious, to items that a pet owner may forget. When considering packing items for pets, we need to consider the necessities for their daily wellbeing, but also non-essential items that would keep your pets comfortable. After all, even though your pets may become accustomed to vehicle travel, it still can be a stressful and stressful experience. If you are packing your pet’s luggage, consider bringing:
- Food and Water Supplies
These are the most obvious items to pack for your pets. As such you should pack enough food to last the entire trip and supplies that come with, including portable bowls and water bottles just in case. Travel is not the ideal time to experiment with new foods. Keeping your pet on a consistent, highly digestible diet helps support digestive comfort and reduces the risk of unexpected stomach upset during the trip.
Abruptly changing your pet’s food can lead to:
- Digestive upset: The introduction of new foods can upset the intestinal microbiota leading to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea.
- Loss of appetite: Your pets may simply refuse to eat new foods.
- Allergies and sensitivities: Your pets may be allergic to ingredients present in new foods.
Nutrition is by far one of the most important aspects of pet care and must be upheld even when breaking the routine with a trip.
- Cleaning Supplies
You need to pack essential cleaning supplies for your pets. Bringing your pet's regular grooming products helps maintain their routine and avoid skin sensitivities. Pet owners need to bring all the key items they use to clean their pets, as well as travel-specific cleaning products:
- Shampoo: While pets don't need to be bathed as often, depending on the destination, your pets may dirty themselves. Which is why having your pet’s shampoo on hand for deep cleaning can be very convenient.
- Waste bags: You will need to clean up after your pets after they have finished their business. Packing waste bags allow you to cleanly dispose of your pet’s waste.
- Wipes: While in extreme cases you may need to deep clean your pet with shampoo, for daily cleaning, shampoo is not necessary. Pet owners can use wet wipes to quickly clean their pets. They are especially useful when your pets need a sudden quick cleaning.
- Extra bedding: Many "pet-friendly" rentals strictly forbid pets on the bed or sofa. Laying down your own blankets lets them lounge comfortably without violating rules.
It is important on your trip to keep your pet and the location you are visiting clean. This makes your vacation a lot more enjoyable for you, your pet and others.
- Health and Safety Supplies
It never hurts to be prepared. When traveling you might need medical documents to allow your pets to travel across borders with you. Alternatively, your pets may suddenly be in need of medical assistance. Pet owners should be wary of their pet’s health and safety supplies during travel. They should pack:
- Vaccination records: Pet owners should include a current required vaccination and health records if crossing state or international borders, and physical copies of your pet's rabies and vaccination certificates.
- Safety harness: It's important to limit the movement of your pet’s carrier to ensure their safety. Pets should generally be secured within the vehicle to prevent injuries or distractions.
- First aid supplies: You can buy a pre-made kit or assemble your own with gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, bandage tape, and a digital thermometer. In case of any medical emergencies, pet owners can support their pets before taking them to a local veterinarian.
- Medicaments: Usually if your pet has a medical condition or sickness prior to traveling, it would be wise to bring medicine that helps manage these conditions during the trip. Generally, pet owners can bring anxiety and motion sickness medicines for their pets still uncomfortable during travel.
Pet owners can properly relax, knowing that they are properly prepared for any situation.
- Comfort Items
Because travel is a stressful situation for your pets, it is better to bring comfort items, to reduce your pet’s stress. Any items that are reminiscent of home, or something familiar, or fun toys, can help your pet relax during the journey. Pet owners seeking to provide comfort for pets should think to bring:
- Pet’s bedding: Pet owners should bring their own bedding. It provides them a sleeping area that is familiar and is a lot more comfortable than blankets and unfamiliar beds. Your pets will stress less knowing they have a piece of home with them.
- Familiar toys: You can bring toys that your pets are familiar with. Not only does it help reduce boredom in your pets, it helps manage stress having familiar items along the journey.
- Clothes with owner’s scent: If your pet tends to stress a lot in unfamiliar environments, such as the car, you can leave your clothes carrying your scent around your pets. Having your smell can provide a sense of comfort and ease their anxiety.
The main hurdle of traveling is how to keep your pets comfortable. Both cats and dogs tend to stress when experiencing something unfamiliar. Bringing familiar items reminding of home can provide them some sense of stability.
So we know what to bring for the trip, but how exactly do we travel with pets?
Traveling With Pets: Step by Step Guide
After listing out the items to bring for your pets, what are the steps leading to the actual journey, do pet owners need to take? When you are about to leave to travel, there are some habits and actions you must keep in mind:
- Days Leading to Trip:
Aside from training to get pets accustomed to your car, when preparing to leave, there are some considerations for your pet to ensure that the trip itself is easier to manage. Pet owners should think of:
- “Pet Friendly” Accommodations: You should know that the accommodation you have booked is pet friendly. This means if they allow pets. Some hotels may have pet fees or limited space available. In extreme cases, some hotels ban breeds of pets entirely. It is generally wise to review the pet policies of wherever you are staying.
- Maintaining Routine: The days leading up to the trip, you should still maintain a sense of routine. This means scheduled feeding times, activity and exercise time. Even though the days leading to your travels may be hectic and busy, your pets still need their routine.
- Adjusting Portion Size: Avoid feeding a large meal immediately before departure. A lighter meal several hours before travel may help reduce nausea in pets prone to motion sickness.
The days leading to traveling are equally as important as during the trip and after. These days should be spent preparing, packing, and making sure your pet is ready to leave.
- During the Trip:
Once the journey begins, your priorities shift toward safety, comfort, and minimizing travel stress for your pet.
When traveling you should:
- Secure Your Pets: Pets should travel in a secured carrier or be restrained with a pet safety harness, ideally in the back seat. Driving can be unpredictable, sudden braking, turning could lead to injuries in your pets. Securing them with a harness limits this risk.
- Plan Stops and Breaks: You should plan stops and breaks when traveling. This is to help manage your pet’s motion sickness while giving them a break from the monotonous and boring aspect of trips. Regular breaks allow pets to stretch, hydrate, relieve themselves, and recover from long periods of confinement.
During the trip, it is critical to manage the safety and comfort of your pet. Travel can be one of the more stressful parts of a trip for some pets, so regular monitoring is important.
- Upon Arrival:
Once you've arrived, it's time to help your pet settle into the new environment. The key idea once arriving is to get your pet accustomed to the new surroundings. It is also good practice to look for the nearest local veterinarian in the worst case scenario:
- Find Local Veterinarian: It's always helpful to know where the nearest veterinary clinic is, especially during longer stays or visits to unfamiliar locations.
- Adjusting to New Place: You should help your pet get somewhat adjusted to the new environment. Allow your pet to explore the new space gradually while keeping familiar items nearby. Maintaining feeding and walking routines can also help them settle more quickly.
With a little preparation, traveling with pets can become far less stressful and much more enjoyable for everyone involved.
The Home Takeaway
When returning home from your vacation, your pets may need rest, rehydration and some time to re-adjust. Traveling with your pets is usually physically and mentally tiring for them. This is why you should provide as much support as possible for your pets to recover. With patience, planning, and attentive care, road trips can become safer and far more enjoyable experiences for both pets and owners, allowing your furry companions to travel alongside you more comfortably and confidently.
After returning home, some pets may need a few days to fully settle back into their normal routine. Consistent feeding schedules, proper hydration, adequate rest, and familiar routines can help support a smoother recovery from travel-related stress. Maintaining a consistent, highly digestible diet throughout the trip and after returning home can also help support digestive comfort and overall wellbeing. Thoughtfully formulated diets such as KEOS can help support digestive comfort and daily wellbeing, making travel easier for pets and owners alike.
After all, pets and their owners deserve to have a nice and relaxing vacation.
