My wife, Teresa, and I love to travel. Our pets have the best of TLC when we’re gone, but we prefer to bring them with us when we can. (Well, the dogs — the barn cats and horses aren’t really ideal travel companions!)
This week in our nationally syndicated feature, Pet Connection, my writing partner, Kim Campbell Thornton, shares her travel tips from two decades as a pet mom:
- Reserve a room early at a pet-friendly hotel, especially if you are visiting a tourist destination such as Santa Fe. The streets were crowded with visitors, and we weren’t the only ones with dogs. Confirm that the room is pet-friendly a few weeks beforehand.
- If you’re driving to your destination, fill a gallon jug with water from home and mix it with the tap water at the places you visit. Even though the water is treated, different areas have different “bugs” in the system, and your dog will be less likely to have stomach upset from the change.
- Some dogs suffer motion sickness. If yours is one of them, ask your veterinarian about Cerenia to prevent nausea and vomiting. Give it with a small amount of food half an hour to an hour before you hit the road.
- Make feeding time easy, especially if you feed an unusual brand or a raw diet. Before you leave, contact pet-supply stores at your destination to make sure they carry your dog’s food in case you run out. We pack dehydrated food and just add warm water.
Get the rest of Kim’s tips here, then share your stories of travel with pets in the comments. What are your top tips?
