People just love their pets, and they take great care of their pets. Few even treat them as their family members, design rooms for them, give gifts on their birthdays and arrange funerals when they pass away. As per the statistics, Americans spend nearly $43.4 billion annually on pet related products. This is enough to understand the importance of pets in their lives.
Owners who love to bring their pets with them in the car can easily do so it with the number of resources available. But, taking your pet on vacation and that too in your car is not a small thing. You have to plan ahead and consider many points before you start your journey. You need to check the weather, location, trip duration etc. Below are few tips that might help you when you travel with your pets in your car.
Pet Microchips
You don’t need to pack a microchip; you need to implant them in your pet before you start your journey. People usually implant them with the fear of losing their pet. Microchips are becoming common, and they help the owner to track their lost pet. Microchip data has an identification number that is normally nine digits for the United States. When a person registers the microchip with the American Kennel Club, they get a number, and the number corresponds with the contact information of the pet owner. The chips can be implanted with a hypodermic needle, and it costs less than $50. It’s a cheap service, and your pet will always be yours!
Car Safety
Taking your pets in your car is a tough job, and there are many things that your need to consider to ensure the safety of your family and your pet. The first and foremost thing is to make sure that your pet is comfortable with travelling. You can always make small trips to check on your pets. You can take advice from your veterinarian; they have medicines to relieve tension and motion sickness in pets. This might help you a lot while travelling.
Once you have trained the pet for travel, you have won half the battle. The next thing is to get a carrier for your pet. Cats can be fit in a carrier, and for the dog, you can get a crate. People who want their dogs to roam in the car can choose a divider. There are several designs of dividers available in the market, and you can pick them as per your dog size.
The last thing to consider is a car harness. You can get a harness for your dog and strap the dog in the car’s seat belt. Before getting a harness, measure the girth and length of your dog.
Toy Sets for your Pets
A pet’s entertainment doesn’t cost you much. You can give them a favorite chew toy or even a pillow that you don’t use. These items keep your pet calmer when you are traveling. Cats and dogs both love such toys. You can even keep their blanket inside their carrier because they might enjoy snuggling in. Any portable play set helps in handling hyper dogs.
First Aid Kit
You should always keep a first aid kit box in your car when you travel with your pet. Things tend to go wrong sometimes, and you need to be prepared for it. You can purchase the kits for your pets from any store. You can also include things like gloves, scissors and mild pet sedatives.
Food and Water
Don’t forget to pack food and water for your pet. You need to pack enough amount of food for your pet to last the trip’s duration. Many times, dogs and cats have loose stools or they vomit due to certain food. This is really tough to deal when you are away from home. Thus, you need to pack everything from home and carry it with you during your trip. You also need to carry enough water for the trip. Few areas don’t have running water, and pets cannot drink from a water bottle. Thus, carry a water dispenser along with you on your travels.
Breaks
We all need short breaks, and so do our pets. When traveling with a dog or cat, they need break to relieve themselves. Though a cat has a small litter box in their carrier, it’s good to provide them a break from the car’s motion. Pets are under stress during traveling and, thus, they need to relieve themselves more often. If you are travelling with a cat, you can have a plenty of litter on hand. With a dog, things are different. You need to know where to stop and how long will it take for the breaks. Make sure to clean up after your dog; pack plenty of plastic bags and pooper scoopers with you.
Insurance
You also need to check on your pet insurance while travelling with your pet. You can check with your car insurance provider and ask them about your pet coverage. Also, check with your pet health insurance carrier.
Avoid Heatstroke
Make sure your car is well-ventilated and air-conditioned. Travel during the cooler periods of the day, and don’t leave your pet out in warm days. If you need to leave your pet in a stationary car, park the car in the shade and keep the windows open. Check your pet every now and then regularly. Check for signs for heatstroke in your pets. Symptoms include salivation, breathing trouble, excessive painting and seizures. If you find any of these things occurring with your pet, wet them and take them to the nearest open window.
Above all, travelling without your pet may be an incomplete trip for you, but travelling with your pet without safety can sometimes be a disaster.
This entry was posted in: Car Driving Tips
Tagged: safety tips for traveling with pets, tips on travelling with pets
