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Last updated: June 21. 2006 6:11PM
PETS
Dog-gone road trips
Taking off on vacation this summer? If you’re bringing along man’s best friend, be prepared.
“Dogs are great travel companions,” says Sheila Hanby, veterinarian and owner of Capeside Animal Hospital in Leland. “They give their owners someone to talk to, they encourage frequent stops so the owner gets some extra exercise, and they may even decrease the amount of road rage out there. How many times have you seen a dog hanging out of a window, ears and tongue flapping in the wind, and it made you smile?
“Plus, people probably drive slower and better with their pet in the car,” she adds. “I know I do.”
So if you plan to take your pet along for the trip this summer, here’s what you should keep in mind before heading out.
Assess your pet
Before going any farther, make sure your pet enjoys the road trip as much as you. Not all animals like looking out a car window for hours at a time, and a sick or upset pet will be counterproductive to your fun vacation. Be sure your animal is up to it.
“A few days before the trip, put your pet in the car and drive around the block a few times and see how it does,” Hanby says. “This will give you a sense of what to expect before the trip.”
Examine your pet’s behavior closely before deciding to proceed on a longer drive.
There is no hard-and-fast rule to determine which types of pets will like a road trip. “For the most part, dogs like car rides,” Hanby says. “A chance to go somewhere with their owners is the highlight of their day.” However, remember that, just as with humans, some dogs do not like travel. Look for signs of displeasure: Often dogs will shake uncontrollably and become vocal. Others become car sick. For the most part, though, dogs are as comfortable in the car as indoors.
Cats are a different story. It takes a special feline to go on a road trip, but there are a few out there that enjoy riding in cars, Hanby says. “Cats should start out in a carrier large enough for food, water and a litter box,” she says. Hanby recently dealt with a cat that was constipated after a 12-hour trip because he was too stressed during and after the journey to have regular bowel movements.
And of course, if you decide to hit the road with your pet, make sure it is healthy, clean and current on all vaccinations before leaving.
Plan ahead
While the idea of a road trip may bring out the adventurer in many people, it’s best to save the spontaneity for a journey without Fido. The biggest mistake people make when traveling with pets is failure to secure pet-friendly accommodations in advance, Hanby says.
Not every hotel will accept four-legged guests with open arms, and the surest way to spoil a care-free vacation is to spend most of it driving in and out of every establishment in sight hoping the next place will read: “Yes, we’re pet-friendly.”
In this age of technology there is no excuse for not planning ahead for a trip with your pet. Finding dog-friendly establishments takes some research, and the best place to do your homework is the Internet. Web sites such as www.petfriendly.com, www.petswelcome.com and www.petsonthego.com help you search for accommodations, beaches, and other establishments and amusements that welcome pets.
I used these Web sites to plan accommodations in several Florida cities during my trip south. They allowed me to compare prices and read each hotel’s pet policies in advance. Some places charge an extra fee per night for pets to stay, while others require more pricey deposits that may be completely or partially refunded if your dog doesn’t gnaw on all the contents of your room.
But if you look hard enough, you may find an establishment or two that will let your pet come along for no extra charge.
Prepare for the worst
While you’re looking for places to stay and things to do, it’s also wise to pinpoint the phone numbers and locations of emergency veterinary clinics near where you’ll be staying, Hanby says. You never know what may happen on the road.
“Dog fights are the biggest problem,” she says. “Dogs can get stressed in different situations and may bite out of fear, especially in unfamiliar territory.”
Bring medications and health records, including copies of vaccines and rabies certificates; the tag on their collar is not enough. “What if the pet bites someone or someone else’s pet,” she says. “Usually travel occurs during weekends or holidays when veterinary offices are closed and this information is not easy to obtain. Rabies certificates are the only verification.”
Always keep an ID tag on your dog, a lesson I almost learned the hard way when my dog escaped from my friend’s shoddily enclosed porch in Macon, Ga. Her ID tag had fallen off in Key Largo, Fla. She came back soon after, but if she hadn’t, there would have been no way to identify her or find me. Bring extra tags just to be sure. You never know when your dog might slip away, and it’s much more comforting to know someone who finds your pet will know how to reach you.
Bring a recent photo of your pet, too, just in case you have to do some searching.
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