Checklist For Traveling With Your Pet
Is the misconception about added stress keeping you from making plans to travel with your pet? Taking pet with you on your trip can be quite a thrilling and fulfilling experience, and with some planning, you can look forward to a hassle-free experience.
Know what is required of you, and make sure you get it all done right and in good time to enjoy your trip. Here are among some of the top things that you should know when you want to travel with your pet.
Is Your Pet Allowed?
Even though the Department of Agriculture provides a mandate on the type of animals that can you can fly with, different carriers have their own rules regarding the same.
Some carriers allow only certain types of pets, mostly dogs and cats. Others allow a wide range of pets, including individual household birds and rabbits, in addition to dogs and cats. Some carriers also have breed restrictions.
So, It is essential to check with your airline concerning any such restrictions. If your pet is no ordinary pet but a service pet, you will be exempt from these restrictions. Your emotional support animal (ESA) may also qualify for this exemption as long as you have a valid and up-to-date ESA letter.
You Need a Health Certificate
When you are travelling out of state, or a country, then a health certificate is part of the paperwork that you will need for your pet. The certificate needs to be signed by a qualified vet within ten days of when you want to travel with your pet.
Before signing and issuing you with the certificate, the vet will examine your pet and assess its general health. The vet will also administer the vaccinations as required by the state or country into which you are travelling.
The health certificate is valid only for 30 days. If you are going to be staying in the other state or country for longer than that, ensure that you have plans of obtaining a second health certificate, which you will use during your return.
Update Proper ID Tags
Before you travel by rail, road, or flying with your pet, ensure that your pet always has its proper and updated ID tags on. Before going on your trip, edit the titles, ensuring that the labels have the name of your pet, your phone number, and address. You can also indicate if your pet is microchipped.
Should your pet wander off at any point, it will be all the easier for whoever see your pet to get in touch with you. To make sure you cover all your bases, include the contact details of at least one another person, family, or friend, in case you are unreachable.
Your Pet Should Be Restrained
You’ve probably seen one too many scenes in the movies where the family dog has their head out of the car window, tongue out and looking very excited. Forget all that, and don’t try this yourself. There is no telling what kind of debris your pet may catch with their head out of their window. If the debris gets caught in the eyes or nose, your pet may end up with an infection.
Every time you travel with your pet in the car, ensure that they are restrained. Keep your pets restrained in crates or travel-safe beds. One of the best options is if you then secured the containers or beds with a seatbelt. If you are planning to go on a long trip that will see your pet spend a lot of time in the crate, you should have it spend more time in the container in the days leading up to the trip. This helps your pet get accustomed to the crate, and they are not as fussy during your trip.
An Almost-Empty Stomach is Better
It helps a lot if you limit meals for your pet, especially if you are going on long trips. Emphasis is, of course, on limiting, as you shouldn’t deny your pet food before your trip. Restrict the food helps to reduce the chances of accidents happening while on the trip, which may otherwise force you to stop and start cleaning up after your pet. This will also be reducing the risk of your pet, developing a stomach upset.
You won’t be able to make as many stops so that your pet can relieve themselves. You can always bring along a litter box for your cat.
Get it Right
When you travel with your pet, you want to make sure you have the necessary paperwork, and most importantly, that your pet is safe, comfortable, and at ease throughout the trip. The highlighted pointers should help you do just that, ensuring that both you and your pet have a good time during the trip.
