A family road trip just isn’t complete without your Doggy or Kitty in the back seat. Traveling with your furry friends can truly enhance a vacation. It can also complicate one if you don’t prepare your dog or cat for the trip. There are so many important things to consider before you pack your pets and hit the road.

Start with these seven tips for your upcoming road trips:

1. Secure a pet-friendly place to stay: Don’t wait until you get on the road to make reservations at a pet-friendly hotel or camp ground. You also need to call to see if you can bring the cat or dog to your family gathering. It’s simply good manners to ask your family or your host in advance if you can bring your pet to their home. Plus, you never quite know how their dog or cat may react to your pet. Call ahead, it’s worth the effort to keep your pet content and happy while traveling. It will help you avoid any unexpected lodging surprises or unhappy hosts.
2. Identification:  Make sure your pet is wearing proper identification tags on a collar. Your name, your pet’s name, and your contact information should be visibly printed on the tags. You should never leave home without making sure your pet is properly tagged, especially when you’re traveling to an unfamiliar place where they might get overly excited or frightened and run off. You may want to consider having your pet micro chipped before your next adventure. Contact your local Georgia Veterinarian for details on how to micro chip your dog or cat.
3. Update your pet’s vaccinations: Before you hit the road, make sure your pet is up-to-date on all of his or her shots. Make sure that you bring this documentation along. You may have to show proof of vaccinations at hotels, stay and play locations or state lines.
4. Keep them secure: As much as your dog or cat may love moving freely throughout the car or sitting in your lap, it’s not the safest or smartest idea. One abrupt stop or fender bender could send your pet flying through the car, hurting themselves and the passengers. It’s best to keep your pet safely in the back seat inside a crate or buckled into a seat belt attached to a harness.
5. Make regular stops: If you’re taking your beloved furry friend on a long family trip, be sure to make frequent potty stops. You can’t expect dogs or cats, to hold their bladders until the whole family makes a pit stop. You can, however, plan feeding and drinking times around your planned stop times to avoid accidents in the car. Making frequent stops will also give your pet a chance to stretch their legs and move around a bit.
6. Make the car feel like home: When taking a road trip with your furry family members, be sure to take along comfy blankets, pillows, and toys that put them at ease. Try to make your car feel as much like home as possible by bringing their favorite items and treats. You, or the backseat passengers, can trade off petting your pets and calming their nerves while they rest in their crate.
7. Feed and water your pet before leaving: It is important to make sure your pet has an adequate amount of food and water at least three to four hours before departure. This feeding schedule will keep their hunger satisfied and hopefully prevent any unexpected accidents. If you are on a short trip you may want to consider feeding them when you arrive at your destination.

We all love and cherish our furry babies. What other tips do you follow when you are traveling with your pet? Let us know! We might update our blog to include your secret to traveling with your furry friend!