Tips for Traveling With Pets

Traveling with pets is no easy task.  There are limited options for hotels that accept pets around the world, and countless restrictions on public transportation for bringing your pets along.  Nevertheless, there are times when you must travel with your pets, so here are some tips to make it a little easier:

Plan ahead: Whenever you are leaving the house with your pet(s) for any length of time, you’ll want to research and plan your route well in advance.  Whether traveling by your own car, or arranging for plane, train, bus or boat transport – you’ll need to know all the restrictions and requirements ahead of time for bringing your pets.  If requiring hotel stays throughout the trip, you’ll need to be sure the hotels you reserve or plan to stay at will accept your pets as well to avoid any problems along the way.

Check online resources: Several websites exist to help travelers with pets.  Try petswelcome.com to research hotels that accept pets and learn restrictions and additional fees required to stay with your pet.

Emergency Veterinary Clinics: Just as it’s important to know where you can seek medical treatment when traveling, you should have an idea where the emergency veterinary clinics are located on your journey in case your pet becomes ill or injured.

Airline Requirements: One of the more difficult aspects of traveling with pets is when you need to take an airplane.  Each airline has different restrictions and requirements for allowing pets on board the flight.  Check with your pets veterinarian for specific vaccinations required for traveling, and follow up with researching the airline(s) you intend to travel for their list of requirements to ensure you and your animal are allowed to board the plane.

Safe Car Travel: If going on a roadtrip with your pet, be sure to purchase a crate or special harness to help secure your pet to the seat.  If you have to stop quickly or get into an accident, your pet is going to be severely injured – or worse – if he’s just allowed to wonder about your car.  For long trips, you may ask your veterinarian about tranquilizers to ease the travel sickness and fear some animals have over traveling.  Remember that cars quickly heat up when it’s warm out, and leaving your pets in the car for any length of time will almost always result in heat stroke.