Take your furry friends along A few precautions are all you need to ensure your pet has a good journey,

Take your furry friends along

A few precautions are all you need to ensure your pet has a good journey,

If you’re taking your pet for his/her first road trip, it is very important to get them accustomed to the experience well in advance. Take them for smaller trips, so you can gauge their bodily responses and rule out possibilities of nausea, sickness etc. For puppies, it is important to ensure that their immunizations are up to mark. Make sure that all medication has been taken care of. The car should be well-ventilated and windows should be rolled down just so much that the pet cannot jump out of the window. Temperature is of utmost importance for dogs who are warm-blooded animals. If your car is not an air-conditioned one, then carry coolers or water sprayers that can be used to keep the pet’s face and body cool. Also, take sufficient number of breaks so that they can relieve itself. Carry sanitizer and extra pair of clothes for yourself as certain dogs like boxers drool a lot and mess everything around. Meals should be kept very light throughout the journey so that the pet does not get overexcited. Food should be given at least 2-3 hours prior to the start of the journey. The focus should be on a fiber-rich diet and you can carry light foodstuffs like biscuits and Glucon-D so that they remain hydrated. Especially when travelling with big dogs, half an hour breaks post meals should be taken before commencing the journey. Cats tend to be very hyper animals so mild travel sedatives can be given to them under a veterinarian’s description. Even in case of excessively hyper dogs, these anti-anxiety drugs can be administered as in their excitement they often cause injuries to themselves. Nowadays, pet accessories like pet carriers and detachable seat belts are available that make your journey comfortable. If birds or cats are kept in cages during the journey, it is advisable to keep the cages covered so that they don’t get to see a lot; this keeps their excitement under control. In case you are travelling with more than one pet, take the necessary measures to make sure that they don’t injure each other. Keep their nails clipped, use belts etc. In case of air travel, check with the airline you are flying with for their rules and policies regarding pets. Most of their pens are designed bearing in mind a certain size. Dogs with Brachycephalic syndrome (pugs, boxers, bulldogs) are at a risk of getting choked or have respiratory ailments so check with a vet before taking them along. Heart and blood pressure checkups are mandatory for older dogs as they are more vulnerable to cardiac arrests due to their age. Also check the hotel policy on pets before you book one for your stay.