Summer means a lot of traveling and many of us will take our pets with us. For many of us, our four-legged friends require a little extra planning as well as space. For many of you this process will be easy, for others they have done it many times, but some of you are first-timers and this article is really for you.
First off, if you are flying or are crossing international borders such as Canada or Mexico you will need a health certificate. This is a document from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that all certified veterinarians carry. Basically it verifies the health and vaccine history of an animal that is traveling. For flights within the country (excluding Hawaii) and driving to Canada or Mexico this document is all you need. You will have to get it within 10 days of boarding the flight or crossing the border. For Hawaii and other countries, there can be many different requirements, and each case needs to be individually researched.
If you are just driving to your location, there are a few other things you need to know about traveling with your pet. Questions such as, have I traveled long distance with my pet before, or are there pet friendly hotels where I am going? These are all things we need to think about before we go on a trip. First off, how does your pet do in the car? Some pets can be extra hyper and stressed in the car, others get very car sick. What I recommend to people who travel a lot and contemplate taking their pet with them is to take a medium sized trip, 2-3 hours long. This allows you to really see how your pet will react on an extended trip so you will not be surprised when you really do leave on a trip. I tell people to do this because nobody wants to be stuck somewhere when their pet is having problems. It is very scary to be in a new town and have no idea if there are any veterinarians and if so where they are.
Once you have determined if your pet is a good traveler, your trip should go well, but if your pet had some problems call your veterinarian. If your pet has mild car sickness or nervousness, it can be controlled pretty well with over the counter drugs such as Benadryl. More severe cases may need prescription medications. There is a great new motion sickness drug called Cerenia that controls vomiting for 24 hours a dose. For anxiety problems we typically use drugs such as acepromazine or alprazolam. Sedatives are tricky drugs; our pets, just like ourselves, can react very differently when given sedatives. I have seen two dogs of similar weight take very different doses. It is important if you are taking your pet with anxiety issues to give test doses before the trip to see how effective it works. We may need to adjust the dose depending on how your pet reacts to the medication.
Overall, when traveling with your pet, it is important to really pre-plan your trip. If you think your pet needs medication or when a health certificate is needed, you need to stop by your veterinarian’s office. Talk with them about the trip and how your pet acts, together you can come up with a solution that will make your trip more enjoyable. But remember, visit your vet a few days before the trip, some of the medications will need to be tried before actually leaving on the trip. Finding a veterinarian in a new city can be hard, so pre-planning your trip will save you a lot of anxiety. Have a great traveling season.
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