Preparing to Take Your Pet on Vacation with You

Asrnthe summer months approach and you are gearing up to get out of town,rnyou might be wondering; is it time to takernyour pet on vacation?rnThe answer is an emphatic yes! But, before you decide to takernyour pet on vacation,rnthere are some things that you should know and some things you shouldrndo to prepare.

Pet Vacation: Your Pet’s First Trip

If this is your first time taking your petsrnon vacation,rnthere are some things to consider. The first is if your pet wouldrneven enjoy the vacation. Do you have a pet that loves to run aroundrnand explore? Great! But, if you have an animal that has anxiety awayrnfrom home or could even be dangerous while traveling, it’s best tornleave them behind with a handler or at a kennel.

Thernnext thing you’ll want to consider is howrnyournwill be traveling. Is your pet small enough to take on an airplane?rnIf not, you should opt to drive. If you decide to drive, make surernyou budget plenty of stops for potty breaks for your friend. Andrnremember, neverrnleave your pet in your car alone!

Should You Take Your Pet on Vacation?

Ifrnyou’ve decided that you and your pet would enjoy the trip, the nextrnquestion is if you shouldrntakernyour petsrnon vacation.

Yournmay love your pet to the point where you can’t think of a morernperfect angel, but here’s where you need to be honest withrnyourself. Is your pet suitable to travel? Is your cat a scratcher? Isrnyour dog a biter? Have you trained your pet so that they know how tornbehave in social situations with other people and other animals?

Yourrnpet should be potty trained and trained to listen to basic commands.rnIn short, you want to make sure that there aren’t going to be anyrnbig surprises that both you and your pet will regret.

Pet Friendly Vacations: Preparing for the Trip

Nowrnthat you’ve decided that your pet would enjoy the trip and is wellrnbehaved enough to go, there are some things you need to do firstrnbefore you go on your trip.

Whenrnyou takernyour pet on vacation,rnyou want to make sure that they are healthy enough to travel. Thatrnmeans making a visit to the vet to make sure your pet is up for therntrip, and that all their vaccinations are up to date. Tell your vetrnwhere you plan on going, as they can give you crucial informationrnabout how to protect your pet from certain risks in that location.rnThey will also be able to equip you with the right preventativernmedications for things such as fleas, ticks, and heartworms. If yournare traveling by plane, you will need a health certificate from yourrnvet.

Anotherrnthing to consider is modifying the identification on your pet. Ifrnyour pet gets lost while you are in a different city, state, orrncountry, it’s best if they are wearing a tag that identifies wherernyou are staying during the trip. It is also wise to have thatrnidentifying feature make it clear that you are on a trip.

Beforernyou go, make sure that everywhere you plan to stop is pet friendly.rnIt’s no fun having a vacation cut short because your best friendrncan’t go with you.

And,rnof course, you’ll need to bring some things with you when you’rerntakingrnpets on vacation:

• Liferntvests

• Sunblock

• Currentrntvet information

• Informationrntabout veterinary clinics on your route

• Proofrntof vaccination

• Firstrntaid kit

What to do With Pets on Vacation

You’rernall set to go! But, where to? There are so many options! You couldrnfind somewhere with great hiking. Or maybe you and your best friendrnare more the “sit around on a beach all day” types. There arernplenty of beaches that are animal friendly. If you prefer the coldrnweather, there are ski lodges that will accommodate you as well.rnWhatever you choose, you’re going to have a great time!

Ifrnyou are in the Jacksonville area and need a vet, don’t hesitate torncontact ForeverrnVetsoday!